Wandering Tides
by AntonXIV
Summary: Pressed by the World Government, the survivors of the 4th Shinobi War have to deal with a world that they have largely ignored. Pirates, Marines, and Revolutionaries all want a piece of Wano Country. With no desire for another war, compromises will be made, and deals will be struck. Will it be enough? Naruto, a new team, and new friends are out on the Grand Line to find out.
1. A New Threat

**AN:**

 **I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while. I feel like this is an under-explored crossover, and one of the few where I feel like I have enough knowledge of both worlds to take a crack at it. Shinobi, Pirates, and a corrupt government just seemed like too much fun to pass up.**

 **Naruto Fans, this story diverges from the Naruto Cannon immediately after the Fourth Shinobi War. Some of the skills, strengths, and abilities seen after that, such as the Godlike Naruto from the Last Movie, will not appear here. Naruto will stay his determined self, but he will be working towards a different set of strengths, and have different post war experiences.**

 **One Piece Fans, things will start without too many changes to the Paradise timeline, but as the story progresses various aspects of that cannon and rules by which it is governed will be bent and broken to allow for the inclusion of the Naruto characters. The Revolutionaries, The World Government, the Marines, and various Pirate crews will be larger, more varied, and so on. New groups will exist within those organizations and outside them.**

/\/\/\

 **Chapter 1: A New Threat**

Kakashi, Tsunade, A, Gaara, Mei, Kurotsuchi, Naruto, Shikamaru, Mifune, and Bee all sat around a large table. Each of them glared at the letter at the table's center, bearing the signatures of five daimyo. "This is troublesome" Shikamaru sighed. Despite five years of recovery, the shinobi had yet to fully recover from the 4th Great Shinobi War. Their population remained diminished, and the environmental destruction from the war had ruined the economy. To have this new threat looming on the horizon did not bode well for them. The daimyo had received a letter from the World Government, a collection of nations that existed outside of the Elemental Nations, demanding land from the Daimyo. This supposed alliance did not agree with the strict closed border policy the Daimyo had always enforced. The samurai and shinobi had upheld their overlords' policy for centuries, turning away any and all visitors. However, The World Government was politely disregarding this policy.

"The lazy brat is right." A ground out. "We've all known there were other countries beyond our borders. For years, all of us have turned away the few who come to our ports in accordance to policies set down by our daimyo." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"This demand is very vague, and this so-called illegal activity does not originate in our ports. Nor has it adversely affected us. Surely there are other places in the area where they could construct this base of theirs. It is more likely that they are unsure of what exists within our borders, and wish to use this base as a source of intelligence." Kurotsuchi added wisely. She had taken the role of Tsuchikage from her grandfather shortly after the war.

"While we each have our respective navies, we are not prepared for a naval engagement of any substantial size, and our Shinobi are still recovering from the war." Mei added. "We must be careful not to start a war we cannot win."

"Agreed, however the Daimyo are adamant about not allowing this to happen." Mifune offered. "They have stated that all samurai will be called to duty should it be necessary. We along with the Sage of Sixth paths repelled the last attempt at intrusion by these foreigners, and we will do so again. But at what cost, I do not know."

"We have to deny them, however we should stall for as long as possible. Sending someone as a delegate would allow us time to prepare for a poor reaction on the part of this World Government." Kakashi offered lazily.

"I can go." Naruto offered. "I know how Ero Sennin ran his information network. Regardless of how we handle this situation, we need to know what the other side is doing."

"That's all mighty fine Mr. Nine, but negotiations ain't yo thing…" Bee stopped, for a second "What rhymes with negotiations…" he wondered aloud.

A groaned at his brother's stupidity. Lashing out with his fist, the Raikage launched the jinchuuriki into the wall. "Shut up! This is serious, and nothing rhymes with…."

"Among nations!" Bee shouted, jotting down his newest mismatch of a rhyme. As usual, Bee did not bother to acknowledge the fact that he was currently half way through a wall. The group chuckled slightly as A attempted to concuss himself by repeatedly slamming his head into the table. It was amazing that they had made it this long without interruption. With Naruto and Bee in the same room, things were bound to fall apart eventually.

"All I have to do is paint a giant no on their capital building right." Naruto offered with a smirk, "Maybe add a face with its tongue stuck out and eyelid pulled down." He added contemplatively. Tsunade swiftly followed A's example, and punted Naruto into the wall. Reaching out from their respective craters, Naruto and B shared a quick high five in enjoyment of their antics.

"Despite his odd way of saying it, Bee does have a point. You do not make the best first impressions Naruto." Gaara offered. "While I do not disagree that we need an information, it would be best if someone else went as the delegate. I will volunteer unless there is someone else who wishes to go."

Seeing a round of nods Mifune voiced the agreement. "Very well the two of you will go and represent this council."

"Naruto you will keep us informed through the toads, and you will let Gaara handle anything and everything political." Kakashi ordered. The new Hokage was still settling into his position,relying heavily on Tsunade's advice, but he had plenty of experience dealing with the energetic blond.

"Jeez, no trust at all, not even from you Kakashi Sensei." Naruto sighed, only to correct himself once he saw the face melting glare emanating from Tsunade. Raising his hands up in surrender "Alright, alright, I'll let Gaara do all the talking Baa-chan."

"Much better brat." Tsunade replied happily.

"Temari and Kankuro can take over the day to day management of Suna while I'm gone." Gaara grunted. They were more than capable of running Suna in his absence. With the alliance still in place, the kage's were more of an administrative position than a defensive power anyway.

"It's settled then. Uzumaki and the Kazekage will go to see this world government, in the meantime we should prepare for a confrontation." A announced. Everyone assembled nodded in agreement, with the notable exception of Shikamaru who had drifted off to sleep.

/\/\/\

Vice Admiral Momonga had originally felt this assignment a waste of his time. The last supply ship to G5 had reported seeing several dead sea kings in the calm belt, and he had been charged with investigating it. Seeing a sea king corpse or two was not unusual while traversing the calm belt but the ship had reported several corpses with strange wounds. Seeing as this was the New World it was conceivable that a group of pirates had strayed off course and were stuck in the calm belt. Anyone stranded in the calm belt was probably dead after a day or two anyway, but if they could survive inside the calm belt, then they warranted an investigation. One of the Yonkou could be sending a crew out into one of the blue seas. If so, the Marines needed to know. It only took a day of searching for them to pick up the trail of dead sea kings, and judging from the scale of the destruction it seemed this investigation may turn into something. Momonga had never seen such carnage in the calm belt before. They followed the trail of dead sea kings to a small ship, flying colors he did not recognize. The small vessel was missing its mast, and appeared to be listing to one side. Surprisingly, the ship had not stopped. It moved forward at an impressive rate considering that its only propulsion seemed to be a group oarsmen that populated the deck. Behind the oarsmen, two figures stood atop a quarterdeck overlooking the others, and appeared to be locked in some sort of argument. Momonga could hear the general noise of shouting, but he was unable to decipher any specifics. The argument halted as soon as Momonga's ship pulled alongside the smaller vessel.

Now that they were close enough, Momonga noticed that all the oarsmen were identical to the blond that stood behind them. Before he could ask anything of them, both the blond, and the stern looking red head standing next to him, jumped aboard the marine vessel.. The blond stood tall, a head and shoulders over his friend, wore a short sleeved orange jacket with a tall collar and black trim lines. Underneath, a long sleeve navy blue shirt covered his arms and torso. Black pants that stopped shy of his ankles covered his lower body, and an armor like mesh covered what little of his legs did show. Strange, blocky, wooden sandals adorned his feet. Fingerless metal plated gloves covered his hands, and Momonga noticed bandages peeking out from underneath the right glove. Finally, a headband with a metal plate, with the kanji for oil inscribed upon it, shielded the Blond's forehead. The headband kept the blond's wild hair at bay. Momonga knew without a doubt this man was a warrior. By comparison, the redhead's ornate set of green and white robes with an accompanying hat, marked by the symbol for wind, seemed almost regal. Momonga could see a tattoo of the symbol for love on the redhead's forehead just underneath the hat's brim. While the redhead did not look as inherently dangerous as the blond, Momonga saw death in the man's eyes. Enough to unnerve even him. Momonga's had twitched towards his sword, but he stayed his hand when the blond opened his mouth.

"Does anyone here know the way to the World Government?" The blond asked, his hand rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We haven't seen anyone in two weeks. I think we're a bit lost."

Momonga watched as the redhead deflated at his companion's words. Before Momonga asked them why they were looking for the World Government, the redhead stepped forward. "We are delegates from Wano Country seeking the leaders of the World Government. I am Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagakure, and this is my escort Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure." The redhead answered gesturing to himself and the blond.

Momonga's eyes widened. He knew of the country, every high ranking marine did. Wano was the only stand alone power in the New World. Neither under Yonkou control nor World Government. The country forbade any and all outsiders from entering its borders. For them to be sending delegates to parlay with the Gorosei, meant something big was happening. "Vice Admiral Momonga of the World Government Marine Corps. How did you end up so far into the calm belt? Did your eternal pose stop working?" While not common, it did happen every few years.

A confused look sprouted on Naruto's face, "Eternal what?"

"Your compass." Momonga clarified, perhaps they referred to it as something else in Wano Country.

"Oh that, it stopped working when we left our home, so I threw away it out of frustration. We've just been using the sun to navigate." Naruto answered. Most of the marines within earshot to fell over when his claim registered in their minds. People braved the New World all the time, but they all used log poses, not to mention that they were usually armed to the teeth. These two were neither heavily armed nor were they navigating properly. Seriously, what kind of delegates were these people? Gaara seemed civilized, and was clearly the voice of reason, but Momonga was already drawing similarities between Naruto and Garp. God knew his fellow vice admiral was strong, but there were more than a couple screws loose in his head. What sort of leader would send someone like Garp to any sort of negotiation.

"My escort, while a capable bodyguard, is not a sailor nor a very patient man. I fear he has ruined our chances of reaching our destination." Gaara explained with a grunt.

Shaking the confusion from his mind, Momonga knew he was obligated to assist any delegates, regardless of their eccentricity. "I can escort you to our G5 base where we can get into contact with Marineford and put you in touch with the appropriate authorities."

"We would appreciate that."

The roar of a sea king interrupted any further conversation. Showering both ships with water as it rose out of the sea, the beast captured everyone's attention. Momonga was halfway through drawing his sword, when Naruto leapt up to the ship's railing. "Another one." The blond sighed. Turning to his lookalikes the blond shouted, "Boys you know the drill."

"You got it boss." One of the clones shouted back. Curious to see what the blond would do, Momonga delayed his usual beheading of the sea king. He watched as the clones jumped into action. Working together, several of them unleashed vicious kicks into the beast's chin. Their combined efforts sent the sea king's head and half of its body skyward. Another group of clones had jumped above the sea king, and were waiting at the apex of the creatures path. As one, they performed a multi body heel drop on the sea king's skull. The beast rocketed back towards the ocean, only to land on top of and crush the Wano ship. The sea king and what was left of the ship slowly slipped beneath the surface. A collective "oops" rang out among the clones before they disappeared in individual puffs of smoke.

The original landed back on the side of Momonga's ship. "Hey old man?" The blond nervously scratched the back of his head, "Can we catch a ride with you?"

/\/\/\

Once they had returned to the G5 base, Momonga had left Naruto and Gaara outside with an escort. The two were curious about the base. So he had arranged for them to be given a tour while he reported to Sengoku.

The fleet admiral was quick to answer his den den mushi "Report." Sengoku's gruff voice ordered through the Den Den Mushi.

"The disturbances in the Calm Belt were the result of two delegates from Wano Country drifting off course." Momonga replied. "If their claims are to be believed, they survived in the calm belt for over a week. They also lacked a Log pose, and were using the sun to Navigate." Momonga explained. "At least one of the two, Naruto Uzumaki, is a fruit user. He can make copies of himself and appears to be a strong enough to take down Sea Kings with minimal effort. The other, Sabaku no Gaara, is an unknown." He concluded

"Were there any others?" Sengoku questioned.

"No just the two of them on a small ship." Momonga answered. "Uzumaki used several copies of himself as oarsmen to keep their ship moving."

"Their capabilities are not something we can overlook. We cannot allow them near the Gorosei. Nor do their claims have any validation" Sengoku announced. "Bring them to Marineford, I will speak with them."

"Yes Sir." Momonga replied. He left the communication room to search for the two Wano delegates, never noticing the small eye that had been floating near the ceiling the entire time. The eye crumbled into sand, and disappeared once the vice admiral was gone.

Gaara contemplated what he had just seen. The fact that they were a possible threat could work to their advantage, but it also prevented them from meeting the so-called Gorosei. While he and Naruto were some of the few that could easily survive the events of their voyage thus far, perhaps they had not been the best choice for this mission. Perhaps a different delegation would have been more diplomatic. A ground-shaking thud seemed to concur with his thoughts. Gaara turned to see Naruto, standing atop a barely conscious marine. One thing was for certain; it would be a long trip.

"Alright who's next! Is there anyone here that can make me break a sweat?" Naruto shouted.

"Me, if you keep injuring my subordinates." Momonga growled, as he reappeared. "I offered you a tour, not sparring partners for you to treat like chew toys."

Naruto smirked, and settled into one of the toad stances. "Bring it old…"

"Naruto enough." Gaara growled. "We are not here for you to have fun. You are my escort and you will act as such." Gaara knew the blond felt cooped up, and that the concept of sitting still escaped him, but this wasn't the time for him to be stretching his muscles. Sometimes Gaara had to wonder how his energetic best friend had to been the one to return his sanity to him, when Naruto was also the one most likely to return him to his previous state of mind.

"Fine." Naruto grumbled.

Momonga removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku has requested that you be brought to Marineford. We will depart as soon as my ship has been resupplied."

"We appreciate the transportation. I hope this is not too much of an inconvenience." Gaara intoned

/\/\/\

Despite his joking around and aptitude for roughhousing with the marines, Naruto had paid attention to everything going on around him. Jiraiya had taught him that people always underestimated fools, pervs, and the eccentric. Something Jiraiya had proven through his own actions. Besides, if the whole world was full stiffs like Gaara and Shino, Naruto would have killed himself by now. Naruto's observations of the Marines had shown him that regardless of individual strength, they were numerically strong. The first base they stopped at for supplies, had been a bit run down, but it was large enough to pose a threat to most of the smaller shinobi villages. Naruto would not deny that, and now the Marine Headquarters loomed above him, he could only conclude that any sort of prolonged war with the Marine's would end with horrible casualties. Ships traveled this way and that inside the artificial harbor, and thousands of marines scurried about. Gaara had stopped him from fighting Momonga, because as delegates they needed to act the part and combat was not part of that role, but Naruto wanted to find out exactly what they were up against. How strong were the Marine leaders? Despite traveling with the man, Naruto had been unable to gauge Momonga's strength. The Vice Admiral had too much discipline to show off, and nothing had threatened their voyage enough to spur the man into action.

Naruto refocused himself on his surroundings when he and Gaara were led into a large room with ten seats circled around a large table. At the opposite end of the room two men sat at the head of the table. One a stern looking man with a braided beard and a hat that resembled a seagull, and the other a an older man with gray hair and long scar near his left eye. In contrast to his stern partner, the grey haired man picked his nose absentmindedly.

Momonga saluted both men before introducing Naruto and Gaara. "Naruto Uzumaki, and Sabaku no Gaara from Wano country." He said gesturing to each shinobi in turn. The stern looking man nodded and dismissed Momonga.

The stern looking one smiled, "I am Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Welcome to Marineford." He said introducing himself. The fleet admiral turned to his companion only to find that the man had fallen asleep while picking his nose. With a growl, Sengoku rammed his fist into the sleeping man's head. "Garp if you are going to insist on sitting in on my meeting then at least introduce yourself."

"Huh…" Garp sputtered. "Who are these brats?" He asked staring at Naruto and Gaara. Then he looked from the table to Sengoku. "I thought you said there would be food." Naruto could not resist bursting into laughter when the old marine began to pout while whimpering about food.

Sengoku let out a low growl, but he should have known that his near senile friend would never change. Garp had always been one to do what he wanted. "Since he is currently incapable of introducing himself, allow me to introduce Vice Admiral Garp." Sengoku proclaimed with a bit of a sigh.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both Sengoku-sama. I am Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagakure." Gaara replied, in his usual even tone. Sengoku nodded politely in response, but it was clear that the man did not understand the implications of the title.

The fleet admiral's gaze shifted to Naruto. Knowing he was expected to introduce himself next, the blond smirked and jumped from his chair. Odorless smoke filled the room, kabuki music filtered in from an unknown location, and Naruto's voice echoed through the room. "Trained in the hidden peaks of Mount Myoboku, heir to the Icha Icha legacy, and super kickass genin of Konohagakure, I am Naruto Uzumaki, the immortal toad sage." The smoke cleared when a gentle breeze filled the room. Naruto reappeared, his hands and face painted with white and red kabuki blond stood posing atop a massive toad, and a bucket of sakura blossoms had appeared in Gaara's hands. "Gaara! What the hell, you were supposed to send those fluttering about the room."

Before the sand user could berate his friend for his childish antics, Garp jumped onto the table and shouted, "Ghost!" The Vice Admiral promptly punched Naruto and the toad through the wall.

Sengoku slumped, dropping his head on the table. "Garp that was Uzumaki you just hit." He muttered.

"Was it?" Garp questioned, only for the blond to reappear in the hole in the wall, unharmed, and minus the face paint. "Oops."

"Nice hit old man." Naruto cackled. "But can you take one?" He asked, launching himself into a spinning high kick. Naruto's foot sent the unprepared vice admiral through the opposite wall. Naruto immediately gave chase, and disappeared from the room.

"Wano recently received a letter from your government. They are asking to place a naval base in our country. Stating an increase in illegal activity as their reason" Gaara stated blatantly ignoring the room's events up to that point.

"Yes, my superiors have expressed concern with pirate activity in that area." Sengoku replied calmly, following Gaara's example of ignoring Naruto and Garp. "A base would help stabilize the region."

"Wano will not allow the base to be built. Our leaders are determined to maintain the policies set down by their ancestors." Gaara explained. "However, we are willing to help control the waters around our nation. If you could provide us with information about these criminals, we would be willing to help combat them."

"I see." Sengoku seemed to contemplate his next choice of words. "The Gorosei will not be happy to hear that, however with some cooperation on the part of Wano, we should be able to come to an agreement that will benefit all parties. I will inform the Gorosei of your willingness to assist in policing that part of the Grand Line, and wait for their response. I hope staying for a few days is within reason."

"We are happy to stay as long as it takes. I am glad that our refusal has not been taken too poorly." Gaara answered. "There is always a solution if we are willing to talk."

/\/\/\

Naruto smirked as he dodged another punch from Garp. This was what he had been looking for at G5. Despite being past his prime, Garp was no slouch in a fight. The man's punches actually hurt. Naruto felt like he was being hit by bowling balls. Tsunade's love taps hurt more, but still. Deciding to step it up, Naruto formed a rasengan. Curious to see how the veteran marine would deal with the technique, Naruto shoved his signature attack towards the marine.

Grinning like a madman, Garp caught Naruto's fist, spinning ball of chakra and all. Trapping the utterly shocked Naruto, Garp crushed his other fist into the side of Naruto's head, and sent the blond tumbling into the nearest structure. "Flashy tricks won't work on me brat. Now get back here so I can beat some respect into you!"

Naruto took a moment to remove himself from the stone wall Garp had lodged him in. Cheshire grin plastered across his face, the blond dusted himself off and wiped a bit a blood off his chin. "Not bad gramps. Hit me much harder than that and I might have to get serious." Naruto chuckled. Getting punted into buildings was a weekly occurrence for him, not that any of these people knew that. Ignoring the astonished looks of nearby marines, Naruto cracked his neck and beckoned for Garp.

"Bwahahahaha." Garp laughed. "You should join the Marines brat."

"Nah, I like my current job." Naruto shot back. "I don't have to play fair." To support his claim, Naruto had several shadow clones pop into existence around him. Pointing his finger at Garp, Naruto shouted, "Sick em boys." The clones were quick to follow orders and rushed towards Garp. The clones were no match for the marine, but they were exactly the distraction Naruto needed. The smoke from their dispersion obscured Garp, and everything around him. Using the smoke as cover, Naruto darted in for an Uzumaki special.

As the smoke cleared, and Garp came back into sight. Naruto could not help but chuckle. "I hope you like my modification to your jacket. All that white and blue is so boring."

Garp looked confused for a moment, but saw that everyone was staring at his back. Curious, he pulled the coat off his shoulders. Ugly, yet oddly artistic graffiti covered the back of it. Most of the graffiti was illegible, but the biggest and boldest string of words read, _I wear pink underwear, and bow to the awesomeness that is Naruto Uzumaki._ Garp's gaze shifted to Naruto, the marine's face still contorted in confusion. "How'd you know I wear pink underwear?"

Naruto was reduced to tears of laughter, and fell to the ground along with the rest of those within earshot. "I…. give…. Old man." Naruto gasped out between laughs. "You… Win."

Garp seemed a bit put out that Naruto had given up so easily. He did not understand why him wearing pink underwear was grounds for giving up. He was contemplating ignoring the blond's submission, when a gruff voice interrupted him. "Garp!"

"What do you want?!" Garp shouted, turning to see Sengoku and Gaara approaching. "Give me another five minutes. I'm teaching this brat a lesson!" Garp grunted, pointing at Naruto.

"You're destroying my base." Sengoku grumbled, pointing at the destruction the two had wrought across the Marine base.

Garp looked around and laughed at the trail of destruction he and the blond had left. Stuffing a finger up his nose, Garp looked at his men. "Fix it."

"But it's your fault!" they exclaimed, collectively face vaulting. Garp ignored his men's cries and walked off with Sengoku, Naruto and Gaara.

/\/\/\

High above the commotion caused by Garp and Naruto, a man sat in silence behind a desk, in a dark office. An authority filled voice was emanating from the small snail. "Sengoku was too soft. He's going to ask for a compromise in favor of Wano. Proceed to plan B, those who are not part of the world Government are our enemies."

"All who oppose us will be crushed." The man replied. "I will arrange an unfortunate accident for our guests."

"Very good. See to it that there are no mistakes."

The den den mushi clicked signifying that whoever was on the other end had ended the call, but the man responded anyway. "Cipher Pol does not make mistakes." The man stated coldly.

/\/\/\

An unfamiliar presence woke Naruto in the middle of the night. One did not survive a decade as a ninja if they slept too soundly. Naruto resisted the urge to crack open an eye. Instead, the blond feigned sleep and focused a slight amount of chakra to his ears. As an added precaution, Naruto began channeling a bit of chakra to his hand while he waited. He heard the soft scuff of footsteps, and they were too loud and they lacked the slight grinding noise Gaara's sand covered feet exuded. Naruto silently tracked the unknown person around the room until they stood directly above him. Sharpening the chakra around his hand, he moulded it into a razor sharp blade of wind.

"Awake you may be able to go blow for blow with Monkey D. Garp, but asleep you are no match for me." The man said standing over Naruto.

Naruto could hear the tell tale signs of a blade being drawn. Something short and dagger like if he was correct. "And, you talk too much for an assassin." Naruto offered. Ignoring the shocked look on the man's face, Naruto sat up. He took one moment to visually confirm the dagger that was being held above him before ramming his chakra-coated hand through the man's chest. Tossing the would be assassin to the floor, Naruto walked over to Gaara. "I know you're awake."

The sand user opened his eyes to look at the blond. "Clearly someone is not happy with our refusal. Sengoku doesn't seem the type to do this though. From the conversation he and I had earlier, he seems to be an honorable person. If nothing else he does things by the book. I'd imagine this was done by a third party so it could be denied."

Naruto nodded his agreement. "Do we leave or stay and sort this out?"

"We can't leave." Gaara answered. "Not without explaining ourselves. Sengoku was willing to compromise, if we leave that won't happen."

Before Naruto could say anything else, sand shot from Gaara's body. The Kazekage had sealed his gourd away to avoid suspicion, but the sand armor that he wore like a second skin meant he always had some at his disposal. The stream of sand flew out the window and disappeared from sight. A second later it returned with another dead assassin. Gaara dropped the mangled body on the floor next to the other. Naruto quickly sealed the bodies into a scroll. Stuffing the scroll into a pocket, he switched his attention to Gaara. "I have an idea. Follow me." He said before jumping out the window.

Gaara followed as Naruto led them across the base. The two quietly hopped through the shadows, and across roofs until they were back at the room they had met Sengoku in earlier. Naruto picked the lock, and opened the door just enough for them to slip in. Once they were out of sight, Naruto spawned a clone. He handed the chakra construct the scroll that held the assassin's bodies. "Hide here until the old man comes back, then explain what happened." He ordered. "We will find some neutral ground to continue our meeting on."

"You got it boss." The clone flopped back into one the chairs, and kicked his feet up onto the table. Naruto and Gaara could only stare at the clone as it settled in. Looking up at the two the clone smiled, "What? You actually expect me to hide the whole time?" it chuckled. "I'm on vacation until someone comes into this room." The clone claimed.

"Stupid clones and their free will." Naruto grumbled, as he turned to leave. "I should figure out how Orochi-teme overpowered the wills of others, and use it on my damn clones." He added in a mumble.

Rather than follow his companion out to door, Gaara glared at the clone. "He can make more of you." The Kazekage threatened.

"Oh fine." The clone sighed, and transformed itself into an unassuming plant. Gaara nodded his approval before following Naruto out the door.

"We need to find some of those log pose things." Naruto whispered once Gaara had joined him in the hall. "Otherwise we're just going to get lost again. After that we will have to borrow a boat, unless you feel like working on your water walking." Naruto commented. Before Gaara could respond, their path was blocked by a hulking mass of a person. Easily four times taller than either of them, the man blotted out the moonlight. He wore a black jacket, emblazoned with a large, white, crosshair and paw prints. A massive bible rested inside one of the man's hands.

"Another one, really." Naruto sighed, forming a rasengan in his hand. Something told him that a chakra coated hand would not going to be enough this time.

"If you were to go on a trip, where would you like to go?" The man asked calmly, ignoring the imminent attack.

"What the fuck?" Naruto sputtered. "What kind of assassin asks a question like that?"

"Back to the desert." Gaara answered, stalling for a bit of time while he reached for the seal that held his gourd.

"Very well." In a flash, the giant man disappeared. Gaara's eyes widened when the man reappeared beside him, arm extended and swinging towards Gaara. The sand user had not been expecting such speed from the large man. Still gripping the scroll that held most of his sand, Gaara grit his teeth in preparation for a hit he knew his sand armor would not be able to stop.

Knowing full well what Akimichis could do when that size, Naruto wasted no time jumping next to Gaara. The blond could sense a buildup of strange chakra behind the mountain sized man's hand. However the blow never actually came. When the man's hand was mere feet from them, both Naruto and Gaara were enveloped in some sort of shock wave. The shockwave exploded outwards from the giant's hand, and carried both Shinobi off into the night sky faster than the eye could see.

A a tall, greying man in a black suit dropped down into the courtyard moments after the duo had been sent flying. With an angry look on his face, the man turned to the giant figure. "Bartholomew Kuma, What did you do to them?"

"I sent them to the desert, agent Laskey. Is there somewhere you wish to go as well?" The tyrant replied casually. When Laskey did not respond, Kuma walked passed him and into the building Naruto and Gaara had come out of.

/\/\/\

After waiting all night in the conference room, and being forced to stay in plant form because some behemoth of a man had come in and sat down at the table, Sengoku had finally shown up. Naruto waited for him to address the other man before revealing himself. Considering the assassination attempt the night before, he could not be too careful. One good hit and poof.

"Kuma what are you here for?" Sengoku growled. "I have another meeting planned for today." He was forced to put up with the Shichibukai but today he just did not feel like dealing with any of the government sanctioned pirates, even if it was the most cordial of them.

"I am simply here to help a friend with the advantages of my position." Kuma responded.

Sengoku sighed, while the most loyal of the Shichibukai, Kuma was known to use his position to do things that were not explicitly forbidden to him by orders. "What do you mean?"

"Cipher Pol was meddling in something they should not have, so I sent their target to a distant, unspecified, location."

"Their target wouldn't happen to be a blond brat, and an agreeable redhead would they?"

"Those would be the targets that I speak of." Kuma answered.

Sengoku groaned. Sometimes being fleet admiral was more trouble than it was worth. He had control over the marines yes, but other World Government organizations worked outside of his authority. Cipher Pol was one such organization, and if they had targeted the Wano delegates, then someone up high was not happy with events from yesterday.

Seeing an opportunity to jump in, Naruto returned himself to normal. "He's telling the truth." The clone announced, surprising the room's occupants. "Gaara and I received these two as uninvited guests last night." He said opening the scroll with the dead assassins in it. "I'm not sure how you deal with assassination attempts here, but in Wano, well you can see the result." Naruto pointed towards the dead bodies to prove his point.

"They were not assassins."

Sengoku, and Naruto turned to look at the newest presence in the room. "Agent Laskey." Sengoku grunted.

The cipher pole agent nodded politely at the fleet admiral. "My two trainees were conducting a training exercise when these two delegates." He said stressing the title. "Felt it necessary to kill them. Cipher Pol will not let this slide. It is clear from their skill set these delegates are not who they claim to be. Claiming to come from a part of the New World that we have little influence over, it is Cipher Pol's opinion that they belong to one of the many groups that operate in those seas, that would benefit from a destabilization of the World Government."

Sengoku felt a headache coming on. The fleet admiral turned to look at Kuma. "Do you have any other information on this subject?" The tyrant just shook his large head in response. "Then I must recuse myself and the marines from this. If Cipher Pol believes these delegates to imposters then I will leave it to them to uncover the truth."

Naruto frowned. This was not how this was supposed to go. However he had spent enough time around political speak to see the huge window Sengoku was leaving him. Well for him it was ok, but Gaara was not going to like it. "Damn, looks like we underestimated you. Only one thing left to do." Naruto looked Sengoku in the eye, and gave him the subtlest of nods. "We were planning on luring you to an island away from the rest of the marines and striking then, but you caught us." he said with a wink aimed at Sengoku. "Seagull jiji, tell Garp the next time I see him I'll kick his ass." Naruto flipped the bird for everyone in the room. "Until next time geezers!" He shouted before dispersing.

Sengoku growled at the brat's rude behavior, but if he understood the hidden message in the boy's speech he'd have to send Garp after him. He doubted it would be too hard to convince the old vet to chase after the blond. Sengoku's only solace in this entire ordeal was the look on Laskey's face when the clone had disappeared. Apparently Momonga had not shared the brat's abilities with enough people for Laskey to know about it. In Sengoku's opinion Cipher Pol was as bad as if not worse than the Shichibukai.

/\/\/\

After a day of sailing through the air, Naruto and Gaara descended back to earth. The strange energy prison ferrying them across the sky plummeted into the ground. Their impact sent up a shower of sand and rock in all directions. Despite hitting the ground at supersonic speeds, neither shinobi felt even the smallest amount of force when they hit. Rather than the usual circular crater one would expect from such an impact, their impact crater was in the shape of a giant bear paw.

"Well that was interesting." Naruto muttered as he dusted himself off, and stepped out of the crater. "Never been hit by a technique like that before." He commented studying the odd crater for a moment. Unable to discern anything from it, Naruto quickly turned his attention elsewhere. He couldn't help but laugh when he took in their surroundings. Dunes taller than any Naruto had ever seen shielded them from the horizon. "You got your wish Gaara. We're back in the desert." He chuckled.

"Indeed, however this is not home." Gaara replied. "The composition of this sand is much different than the sands of Suna." The redhead explained after scooping up a handful of the soft ground.

Naruto felt his clone dispel thousands of miles away, and prepared for the influx of memories. The clone's life flashed before his eyes, relaying everything that had happened that morning in Marineford. The blond started to pull at his hair as he processed the memories. "Shit! Baa chan's going to kill me." Naruto cried, "Stupid clone, stupid old man." Ignoring the questioning look from Gaara, Naruto bit his thumb, ran through the familiar hand signs required for summoning, and slammed his hand into the earth. When the smoke that accompanied the technique cleared, the diminutive form of Fukasaku appeared.

Looking a bit happy to have been summoned, the elder toad looked to Naruto. "Naruto, it's been awhile since you've summoned me. How can I help you?"

"Can you reverse summon one of my clones to Kakashi's office?" Naruto requested. "Something's come up that he and Baa chan should know."

"What makes this message different? I know you have been using the runts to deliver messages over the last few weeks." The sage questioned.

"I'd rather not lose my contract with the toads because Baa Chan killed the one I used as my messenger." The blond sighed. "In fact you should probably tell everyone in the general vicinity of her office to run before you summon my clone. She's not going to like this." Naruto replied rubbing the back of his neck.

"Naruto what happened at Marineford?" Gaara asked, assuming that the blonde's clone had dispersed.

"Hmm, I don't think telling you in the middle of the desert is the greatest idea either. You might actually kill me." Naruto answered, slowly inching away from the group. Gaara glared, clearly not satisfied with such a vague answer. Sending his chakra into the unfamiliar sand, Gaara forced it to surround Naruto. Despite the sands somewhat sluggish response, Gaara entombed the blond. With the Naruto trapped, Gaara and Fukasaku were free to interrogate their friend/summoner. However when the two approached the sand prison, Naruto was not trapped inside. Instead of the cheerful blond they had been expecting, A log had taken his place with a note and scroll pinned to it with a kunai. Gaara ripped the two objects off the log.

Gaara

 _My clone tried to explain the situation to Sengoku but some guy called Laskey showed up. He was part of Cipher Pol, whatever that is, and claimed his men were training when we killed them. My word didn't hold up to well against his, even with Sengoku halfheartedly supporting me. So long story short, both of us are now wanted for the assassination of high-level officers in the World Government. Now for the good news, Sengoku didn't buy Laskey's crap. But, because of politics couldn't really do much other then declare us unaffiliated with Wano. We never showed anything officially relating us to our own government, so for now home should escape the backlash. Anyway that's the basic situation, I'll give you a few days to calm down and then come find you once your urge to kill me has subsided. Until then, have fun in this giant sand box._

 _Fuka-sensei_

 _I put a clone in this scroll, please take it to Kakashi and Baa chan, and promptly run like hell once you unseal him. I'm sure you can imagine how they will react to this._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Naruto_

 _P.S. Gaara, you'll have to be faster if you want to catch me. I'm not really sure where the log came from though._

 _P.P.S. Fuka-sensei, Tell Shima Obaachan I said hi._

Once he had finished reading the note, a stone-faced Gaara handed the letter to the toad summon next to him. "I cannot guarantee that you will have a summoner for much longer."

"I will begin looking for his replacement." Fukasaku sighed. The diminutive toad grabbed the scroll before returning to Mt. Myoboko. Hopefully Ma wouldn't tan his hide over this new ordeal. Honestly, why was it that the toad summoners were such idiotic men? Jiraiya, Minato, and Naruto were each stronger than the next. Each strong enough to bring down armies, yet happy go lucky fools at heart. Somehow it all added up to problems like this.

With both Naruto and his summon gone, Gaara stood alone in the desert. It was one of the few things he could take solace in. He was always at home in the desert. Finally unsealing the scroll he had withdrawn back at Marineford, his trademark gourd popped into existence. If he was a wanted man, he would not be caught without it any time soon. Gaara took another minute to seal away his Kage robes and dawn his combat gear. If he and Naruto wanted any chance of making this work, he could no longer walk around in official dress. Extending his chakra into the earth around him, Gaara felt out the desert. Someone was nearby, and it was not Naruto. Turning to face one of the adjacent dunes, Gaara made a sweeping gesture with one of his hands. Responding to his command, the dune split in half, revealing a woman sitting atop a large turtle. From her somewhat strained posture, it was clear that she had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "I am in no mood for games." Gaara stated. "Who are you? And what do you want?" The woman looked surprised to have been discovered, but her composure returned almost instantaneously. She was very tall, and had straight black hair. Her outfit consisted of a white cowboy hat, a purple corset, and a matching miniskirt. A white fur coat draped over her shoulders, concealing her arms and matching the white high-heeled boots that adorned her feet. "I go by Miss All Sunday." The woman answered. "I oversee the operations of an organization known as Baroque Works. Recent events have left us short of several enforcers." She asked. "We could use someone with your power to replace them."

Gaara contemplated the offer for a moment. He imagined it would be some time until he and Naruto could return home, something which would no doubt cost a fair bit of money. "My services are not cheap." Gaara commented. Aside from the money, working with this organization would give him access to information that he currently lacked. Whether they were a legal operation or not, Gaara couldn't care less.

"Money is not a problem." Ms. All Sunday replied.

"What is your real name?" Gaara questioned. While it wouldn't do him any good, as he only knew about four people outside of the Elementals by name, he could not bring himself to use her ridiculous code name.

"Robin." The woman answered tensely. Gaara could tell she was not going to give him more than that and did not feel the need to press the issue.

"Gaara" The sand user grunted, completing the introduction. "What would I be tasked with if I decided to join you and Baroque Works?" He honestly hoped it would involve killing someone. He really needed to relieve some stress.

Nico Robin was not someone who gave her name out often. Her name carried a danger that most could not comprehend. But something in Gaara's eyes told her he could comprehend what her name meant. His eyes carried a weight and flickers of a past not too dissimilar from her own. She had grown tired of not trusting her coworkers. The Strawhats had cracked her shell after Whiskey Peak, and now she felt compelled to let it crack again. "For now you can accompany me as my bodyguard." Robin answered, instinctively knowing this man could fulfill the position. "Things are about to get very dangerous in Alabasta." Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand, only to reappear next to her. Robin grabbed the dagger she kept on her waist, but did not draw it when Gaara made no move to attack. A small smile graced her lips. Gaara would be her insurance. She had been burned too many times to not have a backup plan. "Welcome to Baroque Works Mr. 5. I imagine you will be a strong asset in the coming days."

/\/\/\

After ditching Gaara, Naruto ran north for a few hours, only stopping when he came upon the remains of a run down city. While the buildings did not look that old, sand was everywhere. It blocked doors, it had broken windows, and small dunes littered the city streets. All in all looked like Gaara had come through and blasted the place to pieces in a temper tantrum. The city seemed completely deserted. There was not a soul in sight, but Naruto's ears picked up the faint sound of a shovel stabbing into the earth in the distance. Curious, Naruto jogged to the source of the sound, and found a scrappy old man digging out a well that had been filled with sand like the rest of the city. "Oi, gramps where's everyone else?"

The old man jumped slightly when he heard Naruto's voice, but when he turned to look at the shinobi he could not have looked happier. "Welcome to Yuba my boy." The man exclaimed before running up the ladder to meet Naruto face to face. "My name is Toto." He added extending his hand for the blond to shake.

Naruto happily shook the man's hand. "Naruto Uzumaki. Where's everyone else?"

The happiness in Toto's eyes quickly faded. "I am the only one left in Yuba. The drought and the sand storms that have started to ravage the area forced everyone else to leave."

"Then why did you stay?" Naruto asked.

"Because of a promise I made to a friend. Yuba was supposed to be a stopping point and trading post for merchants. It was supposed to be a new place for my village to live because our last one had dried up. I'll keep digging up this well until I no longer can. Yuba is my village, and I know it can be the greatest village in Alabasta." Toto explained.

Naruto smiled at the old man, admiring his dedication. His smile shifted to a smirk when five hundred clones popped into existence. "How about a little help."

 **AN:**

 **Well it's a start. I've got a few chapters done, and a few more in editing. Please let me know what you think. If I can get a little momentum going this should be fun.**


	2. Joining The Fray

**Chapter 2: Joining the Fray**

Naruto was really enjoying his time with Toto. After some cleanup work courtesy of his clones, the town of Yuba had really started to shine. Naruto had helped Toto clear out the well he had found the man in, and used his clones to dig out the buildings of the small town over the course of the previous afternoon. Naruto had always made good on his promises, and felt compelled to help Toto with his.

"I cannot thank you enough for your help Naruto." Toto exclaimed. The nearly skeletal man had adopted an uncontainable youthfulness with the recovery of his home.

"No thanks necessary gramps." Naruto replied with his usual smile. With the town removed from its sand like tomb, he had taken to lying about in a hammock he strung up in the center of town, complete with a sunshade hung above it and two ice cold drinks served in coconut shells. Toto, had been shocked when the blond had produced supplies for his impromptu lounge out of nowhere,

"I do worry that all of your work will be for nothing. Another sand storm will come soon enough." The old man said with a resigned sigh.

"I told you. I'll think of a way to prevent the town from being buried. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. You'll have your oasis back to normal, and then people can return to Yuba." Naruto offered. "I always keep to my promises."

Toto had a hard time believing that the young man in front of him could stop a force of nature, but Naruto's confidence was insidious. Besides, the self proclaimed ninja had a devil fruit that allowed him to multiply himself. Who knew what he could do with such a power. "So are you a pirate Naruto? You don't seem to be from Alabasta, and you are most definitely not a Marine."

"I'm just a wanderer that got lost." Naruto answered with a shrug. "I've met a few marines, and can see why you wouldn't think I was one of them, but why would you think I'm a pirate?"

"Do you know nothing about the powers that be, Naruto?" Toto questioned. The alabasta native may have lived his entire life on Sandy Island, but he was no stranger to the makeup of the grand line and the powers that over saw it.

"Not really. You could say that I've been living life as a hermit." Naruto answered cheerfully. "I had never left my home until recently, and then I ran into a guy with a strange power that sent me here. You've told me that this is the kingdom of Alabasta, but I have no idea where that is."

"For someone who has never left home, you do not seem overly concerned with being lost." Toto commented.

"Nope, I can get home whenever I want, but half the fun of traveling is getting lost. Besides things have calmed down in my home country. It's a bit boring now that the war is over." Naruto offered, from his hammock. "Not that that is a bad thing."

"You are young my friend. It is quite alright for you to be restless." Toto chuckled. "As for why I thought you were a pirate the answer is fairly simple. With a few exceptions the only groups that actually travel the seas, especially the Grand Line, are pirates looking for One Piece and the Marines who are trying to stop them."

Naruto sat up and looked at Toto in confusion."What's One Piece? and what's the Grand Line?"

Toto smiled. "I guess you really have been living under a rock if you don't know those basic facts. Why don't I tell you what I know over lunch."

Naruto's stomach growled when the older man mentioned food. Smiling, the blond rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Looks like I'm in no position to refuse."

/\/\/\

Gaara was beginning to regret his decision to work for Robin, or Miss All Sunday as she seemed to like to call herself. They had traveled in silence across the desert until they reached a place called the Spider Cafe, Gaara had found the silence agreeable, but after Robin introduced him to the owner of the cafe, Paula, things quickly went from pleasant to irritating. Robin had left him with the instructions to wait for the rest of their organization. The order directly contradicted his role as her bodyguard, but she simply waved him off, saying things were not dangerous yet. and left after that claiming she would be fine on her own for a day. Gaara had thought about following her, but decided meeting the other ranking officers of Baroque Works might reveal something important. He had never been so wrong in his life.

Paula had respected his silence and let him be after their introduction. She provided him a drink, and left him to himself. However as the day drug on, several strange characters arrived at the meeting place, and they did not respect his silence. It had started with the mole like woman who went by the name Mrs. Christmas. She had the temperament of a two year old, and constantly berated her dimwitted oaf of a partner, Mr. 4. What was with the strange names in this organization? Ms. All Sunday, Mrs. Christmas, Mr. 4, and he was supposed to be Mr. 5. What did that even mean? He supposed it was a ranking of some type, but Gaara would sooner kill them all then take orders from Mr. 4, if the man actually was his superior.

Desperate to escape the ridiculous woman, Gaara had told Paula he would return at eight, and gone outside. Initially the desert offered him the peace he was looking for, but soon enough he found himself interrupted by three men shouting things about okama. They performed some sort of interpretive dance during their approach, that really unnerved him. It may have actually been worse than the mythical sunset genjutsu of Konoha. He strongly contemplated killing them until he discovered that the strangest dressed of the three was known as Mr. 2, yet another of his would be coworkers. If this was what he was going to have to put up with for some money, his fee had just tripled.

When the clock struck eight, Gaara stood and began walking back towards the cafe. He noted that Mr. 2's subordinates had suddenly quieted, before he could question the matter a tall man appeared dragging two of them behind him. Judging by the kanji for one tattooed on the man's chest, Gaara felt it was safe to assume this was Mr.1. The man threw his two prisoners through the door of the cafe before following them in. Hearing the shouts of Mr. 2 from inside the building Gaara could only sigh, "Why did I volunteer for this mission. With Naruto involved I should have known it was going to blow up in our faces." Resigning himself to his current fate, Gaara entered the cafe. He could only hope Naruto was as miserable as he was.

/\/\/\

Toto had explained to Naruto who Gol D. Roger was, how his death had sparked the golden age of piracy, and the general balance of power that had come about. While the man lacked many of the specifics that Naruto would have liked to know, it was a good start. In addition, Naruto learned all about the drought, and impending rebellion in Alabasta. A movement led by Toto's son, Koza. It seemed that even though he had helped bring about peace for his home, the world was a much larger place and many people could use his help.

"No! Not again!"

Naruto turned to Toto to see the older man staring out at the desert and an approaching sandstorm. The storm felt off, unnatural even. Even now there was barely a breeze in Yuba yet the storm was raging a few miles away and headed right for them. Naruto was not the most experienced person in the desert, but even he knew this storm stunk to high heaven.

"Toto, get inside where it's safe." Naruto ordered. "I'm going to see if I can do anything about this."

"But it's an act of nature!" Toto cried. "No one can stop it."

Naruto turned and offered the man a smirk. "I've made a career on doing the impossible. Let me give it a try."

Toto could only smile back at the blond. Shouldering his shovel, the lone Yuba resident positioned himself next to his young companion. Not backing down from the questioning look Naruto gave him, Toto smiled. "Well it would be irresponsible of me to leave you out here without elderly supervision."

Naruto chuckled at the man's defiance. With a manic grin, Naruto formed the hand sign for his signature technique. Twenty clones popped into existence around him. Naruto and his miniature army marched towards the edge of town. In unison, the assembled doppelgangers ran through a flurry of hand signs, shouting " **Fuuton: Daitoppa**!" The clones disappeared as they spent the entirety of their chakra reserves on the massive combination jutsu. This left Naruto to watch as his technique battled its way into the storm. Despite being several times smaller than the advancing sand storm, Naruto's attack punched through the edge of the approaching gale. The technique struggled against the might of the desert. Working against the storm, the chakra enhanced wind wall slowly dissipated. The incoming storm slowed, no longer able to support itself, and petered out in a light breeze. Sand still filled the sky, falling back to the earth as the winds lost the energy to keep it aloft. Most would never make it into the city.

Brushing a small amount of sand from his shirt and flak jacket, Naruto turned to face Toto, who had a look of utter shock on his face. With a thumbs up and his trademark grin the blond said, "See, I told you I could do it."

"Thank you Naruto!" Toto cried, bowing down at the blond's feet. "I can never repay you for this."

"Don't worry about it gramps. Not everything requires a payment. But I have to ask, is there another city or village to the north?"

Before Toto could answer, both turned towards a distant yell. A straw hatted teen came sailing into the village. The boy landed in a disheveled heap, weakly muttering something along the lines of "water…." But it was difficult to understand his dehydrated mumbles.

Toto handed the boy his canteen, which the teen viciously snatched from his hand. In two impressive gulps the container's contents disappeared into the teen's stomach. Looking extremely revitalized, the boy turned to face Naruto. "Clone man, fight me!" He ordered with an odd cheerfulness. With a wide stance, the boy spun his arm in circles and performed some of the oddest stretches Naruto had ever seen.

Naruto brought his hand to his chin, adopting a thoughtful pose. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to face the teen. Pulling out his worn but still recognizable toad stylized wallet, Naruto asked, "Is this a toad or a frog?"

Toto, looked at Naruto like he had grown a second head, but the boy immediately answered. "Frog!"

"Sorry wrong answer." Naruto offered with a shrug, as he pocketed his wallet. The teen seemed to slump in defeat, but the smile plastered on the boy's face did not lessen in the least. Whatever outburst he had planned next never got its chance as a group five people marched out of the desert along with what looked like some sort of raccoon reindeer hybrid being dragged behind them on a sled. The two women of the group sat atop a camel in ornate dress. One had orange hair, and the other had light blue tresses. Naruto could tell they were both quite beautiful despite their somewhat disheveled appearance, no doubt a result of traveling through the desert. They appeared to be relatively young, and despite a distinct weariness, held themselves with confidence. The three men offered a much more diverse picture. The blond one wore a wrinkle free suit, an impressive feat while traveling in the desert. A cigarette dangled from his mouth and his hands were embedded in his pockets. He appeared as calm and collected as could be. In contrast to the blond, the green haired swordsman portrayed the exact opposite. With old worn clothes, three mismatched swords held in place by a haramaki, the tired and irritated expression on his face, and the obvious displeasure from dragging the reindeer/raccoon's sled through the desert, he lacked his companions sense of calm. However the swordsman exuded a sense of strength that was hard to ignore. The third male in the group was a rather frail looking teen whose face was obscured by the odd goggles he wore. Naruto noticed that the overall clad teen seemed fidgety, almost jumpy in his movements as if he were afraid of his own shadow. It was a colorful group to say the least.

"Luffy!" the woman with orange hair screeched, as she jumped off the camel. Marching over to the teen that had sailed into the city moments ago, she promptly smashed her fist into his skull, implanting him into the earth. "What the hell were you thinking!" Naruto could only chuckle as he watched the woman pound the crap out of her compatriot while ranting about his reckless actions. It reminded him of his Team Seven days, constantly being pounded on by Sakura.

The other woman stepped down from the camel and turned towards Naruto and Toto. Ignoring the pummeling that Luffy was receiving she asked, "Excuse me, is this where the rebel base is?" Naruto noticed her subtly shift her scarf and veil to make sure her face remained unrecognizable, but decided to simply observe for the time being.

Toto's usual calm left him. He started hurling every small object within reach at the newcomers. Frantically shouting at them about the mistakes they were making by trying to join the rebels and how there was no way King Cobra was responsible for the drought. A sensitive subject to say the least.

At this point it Luffy stopped Toto by saying, "We're going to stop them." in an oddly serious tone when compared to the childish one he had used when challenging Naruto.

Toto froze, a look of shock etched on his face. It was odd enough for people to come to Yuba, but for them to be against the rebellion, which had spawned from within the city, was even more unusual. Toto sagged a bit, "You're too late. They left Yuba months ago. When the oasis dried up because of the drought, they were forced to leave. Last I heard, they had set up a base in Katorea." He explained dejectedly.

The Camel made some noises that Naruto could not understand, but the reindeer sat up from his sled. "Eyelashes says that's where I found him. He says that he was delivering weapons to the rebels there." This revelation of course sparked a string of curses from several of those assembled. The swordsman and the chain smoker attempted to dog pile the animal, but made little headway.

"Enough! All of you!" The orange haired woman shouted.

With everyone quiet, Luffy turned to face the girl who had hidden her face earlier. "Hey Vivi, where's Katorea?" The others seemed to cringe when he said her name, and Naruto noticed Toto's eyes widening in recognition.

"It's close to Nanohana Luffy."

"Oh, then why did we come here?" The orange haired woman promptly kicked Luffy into the earth, and stomped on him for good measure.

"Did he say Vivi?" Toto questioned, looking at the woman who had tried to hide her face.

"Princess Vivi is that you?" Toto had explained who princess Vivi was to Naruto. She was supposed to be missing, not wandering the desert with a strange group of friends. Things were about to get interesting. "I've lost a bit of weight since the last time you saw me." Toto chuckled, "It's me Toto."

Upon hearing this, the blue haired princess shed her veil and dove at the old man, hugging him for all she was worth. "Mr. Toto!"

"It's good to see you my dear." Toto replied warmly. "I know your father is not responsible for the drought. He would never betray us like this." His face grew serious as he continued, "Please you have to stop this ridiculous rebellion. You're the only one who can stop Khoza."

Naruto watched the tearful reunion with a smile on his face, and quietly listened as Toto explained about the rebels to the rest of the group. Telling them how Khoza had gone directly to the king and complained about his inaction during the drought that had devastated Toto and Khoza's hometown during Khoza's childhood. The king had taken in the villagers, and supported them during that time. It was then that Khoza and Vivi had become friends and formed the Suna Suna clan. In all honesty it sounded like their childhood had been happy. Eventually, King Cobra had come up with the idea of Yuba as a trade center connecting the various corners of his kingdom and had decided that Toto was the man to oversee it. Khoza and Toto moved away from the capital to oversee the new project. Things had gone well for several years, but eventually another drought had derailed the project. Khoza had formed the rebellion shortly after.

"We'll stop them Toto." Vivi said, reassuring Toto that it would all be ok.

"The rebellion might not be here anymore, but you are all welcome to stay for the night." Toto offered. "Please take your pick of the inns." The group seemed relieved when they heard that.

It was at this point that, Naruto who had basically gone unnoticed, felt a few pairs of eyes on him. "What? do I have something on my face?" He asked with a shrug.

"Mr. Toto, who is this?" Vivi asked, her voice holding a the barest hint of concern. Despite her openness with Toto, she was trying to keep her identity hidden from the general population.

"Don't worry princess. I won't tell anyone who you are if you don't want me to. Hell I'm not even from this country." Naruto said, allowing his trademark grin to spread across his face he continued, "But as for who I am, well that's really simple." Leaping from his hammock, Naruto ran through some hand seals and created a small smoke screen for himself. "Hailing from a distant land, trained by the world famous super pervert, Jiraiya the sage, and general all around badass, I am, the one, the only, Naruto Uzumaki!" Light music and Cherry blossoms wafted through the air as the smoke cleared. Face painted, Naruto posed atop a posing Gama. The two had practiced the routine for hours to get it down right.

Most of the assembled group promptly face vaulted upon the completion of his introduction, causing him to grumble about people having no taste for theatrics. However Luffy, the reindeer, and the frail kid all had stars in their eyes. Naruto bowed to their applause and gave Gama a high five for the massive toad's efforts. Gama returned himself to Mount Myoboku shortly thereafter, and Naruto wiped the paint from his face.

"AWESOME!" Luffy shouted, before his face grew somewhat serious. "Oi, Naruto, join my crew. I need a dancing frog man on my ship to be king of the pirates." Those who had recovered from Naruto's introduction promptly returned their faces to the earth.

"Maybe." Naruto said, as if thinking aloud. "What's the best color in the world?"

With no hesitation Luffy answered "Red!"

"Close, but no." Naruto shot back. "Better luck next time." Luffy sagged a bit in defeat, but Naruto could tell the teen had picked up on his game. If Luffy ever answered the question, that followed one of his odd requests, correctly, then Naruto might oblige him. Turning to the others, Naruto said, "Well, you all know who I am, but who are you?"

/\/\/\

Ever since Naruto had handed him his ass on a silver platter, Gaara had adopted a sense of patience that could rival the most devout of monks, but the last day and a half had truly tested him. Between the tutu wearing gay cousin of rock lee known as Mr. 2, and the stupid mole woman known as Mrs. Merry Christmas, he was on the brink of a murderous rampage. At least now they were out of that ridiculous carriage that had brought them from the Spiders Cafe to some other city. Gaara sat with the rest of the Baroque works agents around an ornate table in a large dining room. Glass walls allowed him to see the impressive aquarium that surrounded most of the room. Massive crocodiles with banana shaped growths on their heads seemed to be the only inhabitants of the tank, and could be seen swimming by from time to time.

"For years I have acted as the messenger for Mr. Zero." Said Robin, addressing the room as she entered. Gaara silently thanked the gods when her presence was enough to quiet the rest of the group. "But now it is time for him to reveal himself. He has gathered you here to put the final stage of our plan into action." She explained.

It didn't take long for a tall man in a fur coat to enter the room. An impressive scar marred his face, running across the bridge of his nose and just under his eyes. To make him even more imposing, a large metal hook took the place of his left hand. Gaara could hear the others around the table whispering "Crocodile" as the man sat down and blew a large cloud of smoke out across the table from the cigar lodged in his mouth.

The man smirked, "Operation Utopia." He said in a gravelly voice. "Will be the culmination of everything we have done so far." Robin handed each of them a piece of paper. "You all have a task to complete, but once we are done…. this country will be ours."

"But why would you do this?" questioned Paula, aka Mrs. Doublefinger. "You're sponsored by the World Government."

Crocodile grinned, "I have money, I have power, but what I really want is military power. Something that has escaped my grasp until now. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Each of you has orders to carry out." He explained. "When we are done, the Kingdom of Alabasta will no longer exist, and Baroque Works will be there to catch all the broken pieces."

As a group, all of the ranking agents read their order sheets. Gaara's was quite simple. It said,

 _You will act as my bodyguard during the rebel attack on Alubarna. I Will give you verbal instructions as necessary._

 _Robin_

Gaara read the message before holding it over one of the candles on the table. Like the others, he allowed the message to burn. His attention returned to Crocodile. "In one night, Alabasta will become our utopia." He claimed. "The operation starts at seven o'clock tomorrow. Failure will not be tolerated."

"You should wait to start your operation." A new voice wheezed from behind the group. Gaara, and the others turned to face the large staircase. A heavily bandaged man stood slightly crouched at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. 3! Where did you come from?!" Mr 2 shouted. "I killed you." He said in obvious confusion.

"Boss," the recently named Mr. 3 said. "I came back for another chance. Mr. 2 did try to kill me for failing my mission, but I managed to survive. Barely" The man wheezed. "And I went to the Spiders Cafe like all the ranking agents were supposed to."

Crocodile interrupted him. "What do you mean you failed?"

Mr. 3 hobbled down the stairs to properly address their boss. "I let the Straw Hats and Princess Vivi escape."

Crocodile's face darkened. "You mean they are still alive?" He asked murderously. "You told me they were all dead on the den den mushi. You said you had disposed of them."

"I never used my den den mushi." Mr. 3 replied, in a confused tone. "What are you talking about?"

"I see," Crocodile muttered, returning to his normal cold but calm demeanor. "That explains why The Unluckies never came back." Shifting his gaze, to look directly at Mr. 3, Crocodile asked, "You did kill some of them, right?"

"Well….. about that…" Mr. 3 stuttered.

"What!" Crocodile snapped.

"The information I got was wrong!" Mr. 3 said, backpedaling now. "There were more pirates guarding her than we thought." He added weakly, clearly hoping it would be enough of an excuse.

Crocodile looked positively murderous, but it was Mr. 2 that spoke next. "Zero-chan, what's going on here? The rest of us don't understand."

Crocodile calmed himself slightly and produced a set of pictures and a single wanted poster. Throwing them on the table, he explained who the Straw Hat Pirates were. "These, are the Straw Hats." He announced. "They themselves are nothing but a nuisance." he claimed arrogantly.

Gaara took a moment to look over the pictures. The three photos, showed two women, one with orange hair and one with blue, in their mid to late teens and a green haired man that appeared the same age. Their individual names were not on the photos but it didn't really matter. When his focus switched to the wanted poster, Gaara paused. The poster showed a boy in a straw hat with an ear splitting smile. A smile so infectious it would be hard to ignore. Gaara noted the 30,000 berri reward for the boy and his supposed actions, but more importantly his name Monkey D. Luffy. Gaara did not think it was a coincidence that the boy shared a surname with Garp, who he had met days before. He had seen the senior marine catch a rasengan with his bare hand, something he doubted anyone in the Elemental nations could do, not that any ninja would be stupid enough to try. But, if Luffy was related to Garp in any way, he had potential. This was doubly so considering that Gaara only knew one other person with a smile like the one on the poster, and while he wanted to kill that person at the moment, he was as close to unbeatable as a person could be. Gaara knew Crocodile was making a huge mistake underestimating these pirates, but it wasn't his place to tell the man.

"Waaah!" Mr. 2 shouted. "I met them! All of them!" Mr. 2 morphed his face into Luffy's, showing off his unique skill. "This one," he claimed, "And this one" He morphed into the green haired man from one of the pictures, "And this one." Morphing into a long nosed man that was not included in the pictures. "And this one," he shifted to the orange haired girl, and finally Mr. 2 finished his short rant by slamming his hand over the picture of the blue haired, "And she's Ms. Wednesday!"

"Yes we know who they are." Crocodile grunted. "No doubt by now they are all in Alabasta, and they will try to interfere with our plan. Princess Vivi personally knows the leader of the Rebels. She and the Strawhats know who I am. We cannot let her meet with the rebels. She is the only one who can stop us." He paused and looked around the table. "Remember these faces. If you see any of them, kill them." Crocodile approached Mr. 3, and grabbed the man by the throat. "As for you, you worthless little shit. I gave you the task of killing the Strawhats because I thought your silly underhanded tricks would give you an advantage. But there is no room in this organization for people who cannot step up to the tasks they are given." As he said this, it appeared as though the life was draining from the injured man. Crocodile tossed Mr. 3 back to the floor as a husk of what he once was.

"wa...ter," Mr. 3 croaked weakly.

"You can have as much water as you want. You just have to get up and get it." Crocodile said coldly. Mr. 3 gave a feeble attempt to get up, but he collapsed back to the floor. "No, you can't do it. Very well, let me help you." Crocodile walked over and pressed a button on a nearby console. The floor under Mr. 3 parted and the man disappeared down the newly exposed shaft. Lightly tapping on the glass walls of the room, Crocodile got the attention of the reptiles swimming within it. "Feeding time." He announced. The massive crocs in the aquarium quickly disappeared beneath the dining room.

"You can see the price of failure." Crocodile explained as he walked back to the table. "You have your orders, now go. We wouldn't want anyone to miss the party." He said with a cruel smirk. "Have fun."

/\/\/\

The Strawhats were an interesting bunch. Luffy was captain, Zoro, the green haired swordsman, acted as first mate, Nami, the orange haired woman, was their navigator, Usopp, the frail looking teen, fulfilled the position of marksman, Sanji, the black suited, blond haired, chainsmoker, worked as the cook, and Chopper, the reindeer, patched them all up as the crew's medic. Vivi had come under their protection after they entered the Grand Line, but wasn't officially part of the crew. With her position as member of the Alabasta Royal Family, she could not openly participate in piracy. Naruto had left Yuba with the rag tag group the morning after they arrived. While he liked Yuba and Toto, Naruto had to stay on the move if he wanted to create a usable information network. He needed a ship, and a whole room full of those stupid log pose things that everyone used to find their way around this part of the world. He would probably need to reconcile with Gaara too, but that was something that he was going to put off for just a bit. Gaara could hold a grudge, and Naruto was in no rush to bring his best friend's vengeance down upon himself. Besides, things were heating up with the Strawhats. Something told Naruto that things would explode around the group, and he wanted to be there to watch the fireworks. He could afford to take a few days off for some fun.

They had set off to the south west of Yuba, intent on going back to see Khoza in Katorea and stopping the rebellion. At least that was the plan until Luffy stopped, dropping to the earth and sitting with a defiant look on his face. "I quit." The young captain exclaimed.

"What do you mean you quit!" Nami shouted, "This isn't the time for one of your stupid games Luffy!"

The others threw in various protests, but Luffy ignored them, and looked directly at Vivi. "I want to go after Crocodile." Before Vivi could protest, he continued. "Even if you go back and stop Khoza, will that stop Crocodile? Even if we did go to stop the rebels, we're pirates. Someone would just arrest us and cart us off. If you really want to go, we can't help you. You would be better off on your own."

"But…." Vivi protested.

"You want to put an end to this without anyone getting hurt." Luffy Claimed. "You don't want anyone to die, but this fight involves one of the shichibukai and over a million people. Someone is going to get hurt and people are going to die. To think otherwise is naive."

"Luffy! You're hurting Vivi's feelings…" Nami tried to interrupt, but Sanji stopped her. He appeared to have a better understanding of the situation.

"What's wrong with not wanting people to die?!" Vivi shot back emotionally.

"Nothing is wrong with caring Vivi." Naruto offered stepping in. "That is not what Luffy is trying to tell you." She shot him a glare, but Naruto ignored it. "People die Vivi. Especially when there is a war looming. Even now, I guarantee someone somewhere has already died because this rebellion." Naruto explained. "Probably more."

Vivi's head dropped slightly, and Naruto could see tears starting to drop from behind the girl's blue hair. "It's not the Rebels' fault." she whimpered.

"I'm not saying it is." Naruto replied. "Neither is Luffy."

Said captain stood up and walked over to the blue haired princess. "Vivi, you can't stop this by yourself, but we will help you." He said, in an unusually serious tone. "We will risk our lives with you. We are your friends." the Straw Hats all gave a confirmation, agreeing with what their captain was saying.

Naruto smirked, things were coming together "I'm in too."

"Thank you." Vivi sobbed. "All of you."

"Now, where is Crocodile?" Luffy asked.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Vivi turned to Nami. "Nami, the map please." She asked, making a gesture with her hands. The Orange haired navigator produced the map and tossed it to the princess. Vivi set it down and unrolled it on the sand. "This is where the rebels are in katorea," She said pointing to the bottom right corner of the map. Naruto had scooted closer and could see the proximity of the town to the capital of Alubarna, which lied to the north of Nanohana and Katorea. Vivi's hand drifted across the map to the left settling on the northeastern most name on the parchment. "This is Rainbase. It's an Oasis and where Crocodile lives." Naruto noticed that the oasis was directly to the north of Yuba. The exact same direction which the sandstorm had come from. Coincidence, he thought not.

"Will there be water there? Chopper asked. The desert wore on him more than any of the others. Reindeers weren't suited for the desert.

"Yes." Vivi answered. "It's a gambling town. The fighting hasn't spread there yet. Outside of the capital, Rainbase is the only place not suffering from the drought." That was something that immediately set off a warning in Naruto's mind, but it did not seem like the others were drawing the same conclusion as he was. "It's also the town that Crocodile calls home. He runs one of the casinos there. If we are going after Crocodile, that's where he will be."

/\/\/\

Rainbase was much larger than Yuba. It put the small town to shame with its lavish buildings and greenery. The massive pyramid shaped casino at its heart lorded over the rest of the city. Known as Rain Dinners, the casino was owned and operated by the Shichibukai Crocodile. A massive crocodile adorned the top of the building in a not so subtle reference to the building's owner. The government sponsored pirate clearly had an ego. A hero to many people, the former pirate lived lavishly in his palace, and lorded over the city.

Naruto tore his eyes from the impressive city and back to the matter at hand. Luffy and Usopp had gone to get water for the group shortly after their arrival. Unfortunately for the crew, the duo ran directly into the marines and Captain Smoker, someone who apparently inspired fear in the young pirates. The group had fled for their lives, running roughshod through the streets of Rainbase. Naruto tagged along as they turned this way and that. No matter which alley they ducked into, no matter which street they turned down, and no matter how many merchant carts they overturned, the Strawhats could not seem to escape.

"At this rate, we will be captured before we can do anything!" Vivi cried

"We need to split up." Said Sanji.

"Right!" Said Luffy, "Everyone meet up at the Croc's house."

Most of the group split into pairs and ran in separate directions. Luffy took off on his own in a valiant attempt to lead Smoker away from his crewmates. Naruto paired himself with Chopper, and quickly guided the small reindeer away from the chaos. A detachment of marines split from the main company and chased after them. The soldiers took pot shots, sending musket balls whizzing by the duo. The lead balls embedded themselves in the street and walls around them, but Naruto and Chopper simply outpaced the soldiers. A few quick turns and they lost their would be captors.

"Chopper, hang on." Naruto ordered. They had slowed somewhat, but they had not stopped running just yet. "I'm going to take us to the roof."

Chopper yelped in surprise as Naruto scooped him up and set the him on his shoulders. With a single leap, Naruto launched them up and over the nearest building. They landed atop the roof silently, and set their eyes on the plaza in front of the Casino. "That was awesome!" Chopper cried.

Naruto just smiled at the youngest member of the Strawhats. "Yup, now let's take a look and see what's going on." They watched Usopp and Nami run into the square, only to find themselves surrounded by a ragtag group of Baroque Works mercenaries. "Hmm, out of the frying pan and into the fire." Naruto muttered as he watched.

"We need to do something!" Chopper cired.

"Give your crewmates a chance to prove themselves." Naruto said calmly. "Let's see if they need our help." Nami and Usopp backpedaled away from the armed men. Just as they were about to turn and run, Zoro came running in and trampled the gunmen. "Or Zoro can just do that…" Naruto sighed. Oh well, there would be other opportunities for the weaker members of the Straw Hats to grow. Luffy joined in on the party shortly after Zoro, and drug his crewmembers inside before that Marine Captain from earlier could find them. "Hey Chopper, what's the deal with that Marine? Luffy seems to be afraid of him."

"I joined after they ran into him, but Luffy told me about him." Chopper answered. "They ran into Smoker in Loguetown. He has a logia power, the smoke smoke fruit, and Luffy can't beat him. Luffy's brother Ace fought him off in Nanohana while we escaped."

Naruto nodded his understanding. "Okay." Naruto "So logia users can become intangible?"

"Yeah they're scary."Chopper offered.

"How do you hurt them then? They must have some weakness other than the ocean." Naruto rambled. If they could essentially become whatever element or substance that their particular fruit gave them power over it would be fun to fight one. The idea of logia powers was a powerful concept for sure. Chopper continued to stare at the casino with worry. "I'll send a clone or two in after them to make sure they're ok, but for now we have to wait." Naruto created a pair of clones, who ran off the roof and disappeared into the casino after the others. "Now we just need Sanji and Vivi to show up then everyone will be accounted for."

"I can't smell either of them yet." Chopper offered.

"They'll turn up."

Sure enough, Naruto was right. At least partially right. Vivi ran into sight a short time later. The princess did her best to stay out of sight, darting from cover to cover. From their vantage point, Naruto and Chopper had no trouble tracking her movements. He efforts to stay hidden succeeded right up until she set foot on the bridge to the casino. A tall woman in an impressive fur coat and a cowboy hat stepped out to meet Viv the second she set foot on the walkway. Naruto felt a chill go down his spine when he noticed Gaara at the woman's side. The Kazekage ignored his surroundings and glared in Naruto's direction.

"Shit." Naruto muttered. "He knows I'm here."

"That's Ms All Sunday. She's Baroque Work's second in command!" Said Chopper.

"Stay here and look for Sanji. I'll go help Vivi." Naruto didn't wait for Chopper to agree. He left a clone with the reindeer and launched himself off the building. As he descended into the plaza, another person joined the party. A humanoid looking bird swooped underneath Naruto and opened fire on the thugs that had begun to surround Vivi.

Guns were a relatively new concept to Naruto, but he couldn't deny their usefulness, as the thugs fell to the ground dead. Naruto and the birdman landed on opposite sides Vivi, "Are you ok Vivi/Princess?" They asked. Neither looking away from the Baroque works leaders on the bridge. Naruto's eyes locked with Gaara's trying to figure out what exactly his friend was doing, but the red head remained silent.

"Naruto! Pell!" Vivi shouted. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Pell, the Falcon. Alabasta's strongest warrior." Ms. All Sunday said dryly. "How nice of you to join us." She turned to look at Naruto with a judging eye, but offered no comment.

"Princess, are these the people that you warned us about? The ones that want to destroy Alabasta." Pell questioned.

"Possibly, but with what you've done to my precious employees, how ever will I manage." Ms. All Sunday interrupted, gesturing to the dying thugs. "But I do think the princess could benefit from a meeting with my friends, so if you don't mind I'm going to take her now."

"Out of the question!" Pell shouted.

"I'd never go with you!" Shouted Vivi. "You killed Igaram!"

"...Ah, Mr. 8." Ms. All Sunday commented. "It wasn't anything personal. I promise you that. You just killed my men. It seems we're even."

Vivi tried to charge, but Naruto held her back. "Don't, she's just trying to rile you up," but he couldn't stop Pell. The Birdman allowed his emotions to get the better of him and charged towards the woman. She simply stood there and smirked.

"Shit." Naruto moved before Gaara could step in front of the charging Alabastan warrior. He had been hoping that Gaara wouldn't step in unless he did, but the Kazekage had forced his hand. Using the Kawarimi jutsu, he switched himself with Pell, and caught the sand spear Gaara had created with a grunt. "You still angry with me?" Gaara may not have been as physically strong as Naruto, but he was by no means weak.

"Yes." Gaara answered, pulling the spear back and swung it towards Naruto's head. The blonde bent backwards and felt the blade skim passed his nose. Kicking up with a leg, Naruto forced the spear away from himself and cartwheeled backwards to give himself a little more room. He tried to check on Vivi and Pell, but Gaara did not give him the chance.

Pell was confused with how he had ended up back at Vivi's side, but seeing the spear the blond held in his hand he was somewhat relieved. "Vivi sama, who is that?" he asked.

"Naruto's a friend" She didn't really have much more to say then that. The blond had integrated well with the group, but they had only known him for a little over a day.

Pell wanted to question her further, but Ms. All Sunday approached the duo, her boots thudding with every pronounced step. "Since Mr. 5 has your friend busy, why don't we get back to business." She looked directly at Vivi. "You need to come with me."

"I'd die first!" Vivi shouted.

"Well, I gave you a chance." With surprising speed and grace, the Baroque Works leader closed the distance between herself and Vivi before Pell or the princess could react. Ms. All Sunday extended her arm into Vivi's torso with unproportional strength. The princess folded over the woman's arm, which seemed to burst out through Vivi's back.

Pell saw red. "I'll kill you!"

Ms. All Sunday removed her arm and dropped Vivi. She crossed her arms in front of herself and said, "Tres Fleur." Three arms grew from Pell's body and restrained the charging warrior, who tumbled into the ground.

/\/\/\

Naruto saw Pell get pummeled out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to help, but Gaara refused to let him. Every time the blond tried to disengage, Gaara would corral him with a small burst of sand or a thrust of the spear. Naruto couldn't interfere without defeating Gaara, something he could not do without destroying the city. "What's going on Gaara?" Naruto grunted, blocking another stab from his friend's spear. "You have to know these people are wrong."

"I do." Gaara muttered. "I'm acting the part for now." He added under his breath. "The attacks start today. Help the Straw Hats escape, and make your way to Alubarna."

"Got it." Naruto winced when Gaara's spear impaled his shoulder after a particularly vicious thrust. It wasn't fatal by any means, but it sure looked nasty. "Really?" Naruto sighed. "I liked this jacket."

"Still haven't forgiven you." Gara grunted, as Naruto kicked away from the sand user. He landed next to Pell, who looked to be suffering from a broken back after his skirmish with Ms. All Sunday. Said woman drug Vivi away from them and back towards the casino. For now Naruto would let her go. He trusted Gaara, and if he wanted to play his part, Naruto needed it to look like a total loss on his part. Whatever Gaara had planned, Naruto would go along with it. He played up his injury, allowing his injured shoulder to sag as he threw the Pell over his good shoulder, and stumbled back towards the rest of the city.

/\/\/\

Sanji rarely questioned his decision to join the Straw Hats. Right now he was cursing that choice. He wanted to quit, go back to the Baratie, cook food, and perv on all the women that came through. He had made it into the Casino before any of his crew members, despite staying behind to take care of the Marines. The stupid cannon fodder hadn't know what hit them. Then he had watched, Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Nami go barrelling through the Casino, with their honorable captain shouting for Crocodile. Something he found rather embarrassing. More so when his crewmates, and Captain Smoker, who had chased them through the Casino, failed to return. Since Luffy wasn't causing wanton destruction, Sanji guessed they had been captured. Once again, he would have to bail them out.

Sanji stood up from the slot machine he had been casually playing and spit out his spent cigarette. Reaching into his coat to grab another, the chainsmoker noticed a sandaled foot grinding the burnt butt into the carpet. "Some people consider littering a crime."

Sanji looked up to see a smiling Naruto. The happy go lucky blond had run into the Straw Hats only a few days before, but like some of their other acquaintances, the blond had earned their trust and friendship rather quickly. "So you and Chopper got away. That's good."

"Yup. He's out taking care of one of Vivi's friends that got his ass handed to him." Naruto offered. "You seen any of the others? I sent a clone to follow them, but I haven't heard from it." A loud shout from the other side of the room drew their attention. A clone of Naruto was standing on top of one of the gambling tables, performing a little jig that involved throwing excessive amounts of poker chips around the room. Naruto's head slumped. "Sometimes they have a mind of their own… But hey, I'm rich."

Sanji chuckled a bit. "The others went out into the back. They haven't come out yet."

"So they got captured."

Sanji lit his new cigarette, nodded, and blew out a fresh cloud of smoke. "What happened to you?" He asked pointing to the dark spot on Naruto's shoulder. The blond no longer wore his orange jacket and the entire left side of navy blue shirt he wore was wet with blood.

"Got stabbed." The blond offered with a shrug. "But I did grab this." he said producing a miniature den den mushi.

Sanji blew out another cloud of smoke while he thought. "We need a distraction. If I can get Crocodile outside, can you lead him on a wild goose chase?"

"Yup."

Sanji looked out the door. "What about that bridge? We don't want the Croc getting back in after he's out."

Naruto smirked, a little gleam appearing in the corner of his eye. "I guess I could make it go away."

/\/\/\

Sanji's plan worked exceptionally well. The chain smoking cook had used the character name, Mr. Prince, to flush out Crocodile. Apparently he had used the character once before, something that seemed to have Crocodile hot headed once the man realized that it was his men that lay dead in street not the unknown Straw Hat. Naruto had been a bit surprised when Sanji executed one of Shichibukai's men to make the plan work, but shrugged it off as a part of piracy, sometimes you couldn't afford to pull punches.

They had blown the bridge to the casino and made their way towards the lower levels as soon as Crocodile took off after one of Naruto's clones whose only task was to lead the pirate on a merry little chase around Rainbase. It reminded the shinobi of his days as a hell raising academy student. Naruto would probably get a few chuckles from his clone's memory once it dispelled.

Sanji and Naruto found the others just in time to keep Vivi from becoming gator food. She was the only one that Crocodile had not imprisoned in the seastone cage that dominated the room. The rest of Straw Hats and Captain Smoker were stuck inside the cage, and the room, which had made use of three glass walls, was rapidly filling with water on account of those walls being cracked and broken. So, the normally impressive view of the casino's moat/aquarium a little too real.

"One of the Bananadiles ate the key!" Nami shouted.

"Which one?" Naruto asked. "That one?" he pointed towards one of the several crocs in the room. "Or is it the one that looks like Luffy's mom? Cause they all kinda look the same to me."

"Hurry!" Nami cried.

"Screw it." Naruto waded over to the cage and kicked the lock. The lock crumpled under blow allowing the gate to swing free. Locks were always a weak point in any prison cell. "Let's go people!"

As Naruto freed the crew, Sanji accidentally kicked one of the Bananadiles into the already weakened wall. The behemoth of a creature shattered the thick glass and instantly flooded the entire room. Luffy and smoker went immobile as the devil fruit's curse paralyzed their bodies. Naruto to grabbed the rubbery captain, and drag his limp body towards shore. "Being a pirate and not being able to swim is ridiculous." Naruto grunted as he tossed Luffy into the dirt. He stepped on the rubber boy's stomach, and forced water out of his lungs. A small fountain erupted from the young captain's mouth and eventually he coughed his way back to life.

Zoro unceremoniously tossed Smoker's body onto the ground as he exited the water behind Naruto. The swordsman made no attempt to revive the marine, his charity only going so far.

Luffy jumped to his feet, and gave himself a quick once over. "Shishishishi, that was a close one!" The teen swung his head to one side then the other. "Where did Crocodile go?!"

Naruto just shook his head. Luffy had a one track mind. Naruto was about to answer when Smoker stood up. "It doesn't matter where that crook has run off to. I'll arrest him after I'm done with you." The marine captain grunted.

"Luffy, go ahead. I'll stall this guy." Naruto offered, stepping in front of the smoke that was slowly crawling towards them. "I'll catch up with you guys in Alubarna."

Luffy hesitated for just one moment, but when he saw the look in Naruto's eyes, nodded once and took off with the others.

Naruto turned to face the marine, while the Straw Hats ran for it. Smoker tried to give chase, and bypass Naruto, but the blond grabbed the man's jutte, ripped it from the captain's back, and with a twirl, swatted the captain back down the street. Naruto smiled. "How about you let Luffy go this time? His crewmate saved your life."

Smoker climbed to his feet. "I appreciate that, but I cannot ignore the fact that he is a pirate. Who are you anyway?"

"Just some guy that pissed the wrong people off." Naruto offered with a shrug. "Ask that old fart Sengoku about me. He'll tell you what's up."

"You seem to think you'll be walking away from this." Smoker grunted.

"Well if I'm going to be unfairly branded as an outlaw, I think I'll enjoy the perks that come with it, and I don't feel like going to jail just yet so….." Naruto rolled out of the way as a blast of smoke came his way. "Hey I wasn't done talking yet! Never interrupt a man in the middle of an important speech."

"That wasn't important. You were prattling." Smoker commented dryly. "Now hold still. You're under arrest."

"Anyone ever tell you that you have a short temper?"

" **White out!"** Smoker sent a cloud of smoke towards Naruto and forced it to constrict around the blond.

"Fine, I guess I'll play, but remember that you're the one that attacked first." Naruto said with a smirk. Gathering chakra, he ran through several one handed hand signs. **"Futon: Tatsumaki!"** A small tornado formed around him, shredding the smoke binding. Naruto took advantage of the clear air and the look of shock on Captain Smoker's face. With a heave, he threw the captain's jutte, tip first, back at him. The captain folded under the force of the attack, and tumbled backwards into a few of his men.

"Well, until next time Smokey. If you run into Garp. Tell him I'm waiting for our rematch." Naruto offered cheerfully. With a swirl of leaves, Naruto disappeared.

/\/\/\

"Meat." Luffy muttered weakly. Naruto just shook his head as he looked at the partially buried captain. The teen was stuck at the bottom of a sinkhole, bloody and beaten. All in all Luffy looked more like a zombie than a living person.

"Looks like you lost round one with the Croc." Naruto commented. Said pirate was nowhere to be found. "The question is, what are you going to do now?" He asked crouching down near the edge of the sand pit.

"Meat!" Luffy groaned. Naruto chuckled, Luffy was unique. There was no doubt about that.

"He has quite the one track mind." Naruto turned to see Ms. All Sunday and Gaara approaching from the direction of Rainbase. Hands sprouted from sand and ferried Luffy up and out of his prison. "Why do you fight?" She asked. "All of you who bear the name of D." Luffy groaned in response. "All of you are the same. Fighting against impossible odds, but for what?" She sighed, plucking the captain's trademark hat from the sand nearby. She tossed it towards Luffy.

"He fight's because it's the right thing to do." Naruto offered, as he caught the hat. "You should try it some time."

"Perhaps," Ms. All Sunday turned to look at Naruto. "I don't believe we have been introduced."

"Naruto Uzumaki. And you?"

Robin studied him for a moment. It seemed people with the ability to crack her hard earned armor had all come out of the woods at the same time. One more person knowing her name would not make a difference. She would most likely be dead soon anyway. With a shrug she uttered her name. "Nico Robin."

Naruto smiled. "And what's your role in all this chaos? If you were as rotten as that stupid Croc, Gaara would have removed your head by now."

She smiled mischievously, "That would be telling. You'll have to play along for now."

Naruto smirked. "Why not. Games are fun. I should warn you though, I have a knack for winning."

"Vivi..." They turned to look at Luffy.

"She is safe for now, but with how this country is, who knows how long that will last." Robin said with a laugh. "If you want to help her, you'd better get to Alubarna." She and Gaara turned to leave.

"Don't worry. Neither of us wants to miss the party." Naruto answered as he watched the two go. "I'll get him back into fighting shame."

/\/\/\

 **A/N:**

 **Well, here's two chapters. I'm proofreading the next ones at the moment, and looking for some feedback. Hopefully these two chapters are a good intro into the worlds I"m trying to merge into one. Let me know what you think.**


	3. Evening The Odds

**Chapter 3: Evening The Odds**

Robin stood atop the Alabastan Royal palace, watching the chaos that had engulfed Alubarna. Inciting the war that raged beneath her had almost been easy. It amazed her how blind people with a cause could be. None of them had any clue that they had all been set up. The Rebels, The Royal Army, they would all kill themselves in a misbegotten crusade to save their kingdom. Each believing they were in the right with their actions, and the only two people who could actually end this conflict lay behind her, utterly defeated and broken. Robin turned to where Crocodile stood over King Cobra, Princess Vivi, and their dead guards. The man gloated, detailing his master plan. Boasting about the bomb he had placed in the center of the city, about how he had abused the dance powder to incite the rebellion, and how with both members of the royal family under his foot the rebellion could no longer be stopped.

For her part Robin had acted the part of a cold uncaring witch. It had become easy, practiced even. After all the betrayals she had seen, assuming the best of anyone had become impossible. Now, She simply acted for her own benefit and left the rest of the world to their fate. It had become a tiring existence, but she had nothing else. However, even by her standards, Crocodile stood atop the list of the most vile men she had met. Enough so, that she questioned the intelligence of working with him, but it didn't matter. The Poneglyph remained her one and only goal. Even if it did hold the secrets that crocodile wanted, she would never give such an unstable and deranged person access to that sort of power. Power like that had only one completely destructive consequence. A consequence she would not bring down on any part of the world.

"Even if I can't stop the rebellion, If I can stop stop the bomb, I can save some lives!"

Robin had to give it to the princess. Like Luffy, she didn't know how or when to quit. However, those may not have been the best words to have spoken in front of Crocodile. The man's face grew murderous,. He snatched up the blue haired girl by the throat.

"You and your fanatical idealism have no place in this world." He spat, squeezing the girl's throat. "You do not have the strength, nor the power to back up your words, and because of that people are going to die. In fact, because of you, there will be more victims. If you had done nothing, if you had just stayed away, fewer people would have died." Crocodile explained cruelly. By this point he held Vivi by an arm's length over the edge of the rampart. "All that is left for you to do, is die. Die with them. Join these commoners you care for so much. Farewell Princess."

Robin watched impassively as Crocodile's fist dissolved. Vivi offered a short scream before she disappeared from view, plummeting towards the ground below. Robin momentarily considered saving the girl, but she had long since lost the ability to empathize with others.

"You know, I've always said the hero shows up at the last minute."

Robin felt her eyes widen. When Naruto Uzumaki walked up and over the parapet, with Princess Vivi safely nestled in his arms.

Robin carefully schooled her features, waiting to see what the enigmatic blond would do next.

"I thought I killed you." Crocodile spat. He had sucked every ounce of moisture from the unfamiliar blond's body after chasing him all through rainbase. There had been nothing but dust once he had finished.

"I didn't feel like dying, so I thought I would stick around." Naruto offered with a shrug. "Besides, I didn't want to miss the party."

Robin had to chuckle at that. "I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't make it." Crocodile shot her a glare, but she paid him no mind. She had cleaned up enough of his messes, and their partnership was coming to a swift end.

"Well, we were almost here, but then a black cat crossed our path, so we had to go back and take the long way around." Naruto said seriously. "And you wouldn't believe the all the people I had to deal with. Did you know there's a riot goin on down there?" He asked jerking his thumb towards the plaza."

Robin smiled a bit. "No, I didn't. The sandstorm has blocked our view."

"Well, I wouldn't go out there if I were you. People kept grabbing at us, swinging swords and clubs about, and I lost count of the number of bullets that whizzed through my hair. Seriously, this is no way to greet people visiting your city." Naruto commented in mock annoyance. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Naruto slouched a bit and settled into a more relaxed stance. "Anyway, what's new with you?" He asked "And where's Gaara?" He added turning his head from left to right.

"Mr. 5 is tending to the door." She answered. "As for what's new, just your usual coup de tah."

"Oh, is that all. And here I thought it was something exciting." Naruto said with a bit of a pout.

"Enough!" Crocodile shouted.

Naruto looked at the furious pirate. "No need to be so grumpy. I'm just trying to have a conversation."

"I've had it with you ridiculous pirates! I'll bury you all like I did to your pest of a captain." Crocodile shouted.

"Considering Luffy's not buried in the desert, and very much alive I find that hard to believe. I mean really who dies in a stupid sand pit these days?" Naruto said with a shrug, sporting his trademark grin. "Besides he's not even my Captain. Where do you get your information?"

"Luffy's alive?" Vivi questioned, having recovered from the shock of being thrown from the building.

Naruto nodded. "Yup."

"CROCODILE!" Everyone atop the palace turned to see Luffy flying towards them atop a large toad. The same toad Naruto had used in his strange introduction several days earlier. The toad's tongue shot out, grabbed the edge of the building, and pulled the odd duo onto the safety of roof. The second they landed, Luffy launched himself at Crocodile.

The look of surprise and anger on the Shichibukai's face faded to his usual arrogant sneer. Crocodile made no move to dodge Luffy's wild punch. He assumed it would pass through him like countless other attacks had. However, instead of Luffy's punch sailing through Crocodile's face, it made solid contact. The man went tumbling across the roof, he slammed to a stop against against the far wall, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

"See, he's just fine." Naruto said to Vivi, before turning to face the Toad that had ferried Luffy into the city. "Gama, you're getting slow! I beat you by a mile." Gama croaked a response, but Naruto just shook his head. "Don't give me that crap! There's no such thing as cheating. There's winning and there's losing. If you can't handle some D-rank ninjutsu that's your problem." Gama gave a disgruntled croak, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Stubborn toad." Muttered Naruto.

"Naruto, can you put me down?" Vivi asked, her cheeks tinged with pink.

Naruto looked down to see the girl still in his arms. "Oh, yeah." He said. "Sorry about that."

"As entertaining as it is watching you make a fool of everyone." Robin interrupted. "I feel it is only fair of me to warn you that the city will be destroyed by a bomb in less than fifteen minutes."

Vivi's face whitened. "The bomb!" she cried. "Naruto there's a bomb somewhere nearby. it's going to destroy half the city. We have to find it!" Vivi said.

"You got it!" Naruto grabbed the princess, and swung her up and onto his back. "Hold on tight!" He shouted. He gave Robin a quick salute, and leapt over the edge. Vivi's screams could be heard above all the chaos, not that Robin could blame the girl. They were several stories up after all, and while Naruto had clearly gotten here without using the stairs, it simply wasn't natural to jump off the roof of a multi story building.

With the walking distraction gone, Robin returned her attention to the fight between Luffy, and Crocodile. The young pirate captain was performing quite well. Crocodile sported several new bruises, and even looked a little worn. But, the initial shock of being struck had subsided. Crocodile's confidence had returned, and he was quickly gaining ground.

Robin doubted Luffy would last much longer. Crocodile was a fearsome man. One who had earned his reputation through spilt blood, and a mountain of dead bodies. Even without the advantages of his Logia powers, the Shichibukai was a force to be reckoned with.

Deciding to make the best of her employer's distraction, Robin silently removed the stakes that held Cobra to the wall, and dragged the King back into the palace. It was time to find the Poneglyph. "A wonderful day for a walk is it not?" Cobra was too defeated to form any sort of answer, so Robin just hummed a little tune to herself as they departed the more active parts of the city.

/\/\/\

Naruto landed amid the massive brawl in the palace square. Members of both factions turned to face him, and the still screaming Vivi. Neither group looked friendly, and collectively they encircled the duo. Naruto tensed in preparation for the oncoming brawl, but he never needed to move.

Zoro, and Sanji came barrelling through the crowd, and disposed of their would be attackers. "How dare you jump from that building with Vivi chan!" Sanji screamed. "If a single hair on her head is out of place…"

"Nice to see you too Sanji." Chuckled Naruto

"Guys! You're all okay!" Viv cried happily. "I was Worried!"

"Everyone did their part." Nami claimed, stepping into the circle of unconscious bodies, Chopper, a heavily bandaged Usopp, and a recovered Pell right behind her. "We all fought our way into this crazy city, and we're ready to help."

The warm reunion was interrupted when several tattooed thugs appeared behind them. Wearing Baroque Works insignias, it was clear why they were here. "Princess Vivi! Killing you will make us millionaires!" The shouted, eyes alight with greed

Hardly a second passed between their words and their defeat. Pell, Sanji, Zoro, and Naruto easily slayed the wannabe crooks."Looks like there's some house cleaning to be done." Naruto commented. "Vivi go with everyone and get rid of that bomb." The group went wide eyed at the mention of a bomb.

"What about you?" Vivi asked.

Naruto smiled as he crossed his fingers and grunted. **"Taju Kage bunshin no Jutsu"**. Close to a thousand Narutos spawned from a massive cloud of smoke. Collectively the group smirked and said, "Crowd control Vivi-Hime." The original Naruto chuckled when he saw the look of shock on Vivi's face, as his clones leapt into the fray. He had become a much smaller, but powerful, third faction in the all out brawl that was the Royal Plaza. "I wasn't going to skip out on my part. I'll save as many people as I can, but you need to get rid of that bomb."

With Naruto doing his best to corral the opposing armies, Vivi, Pell, and the Straw Hat crew scattered in search of the bomb. Before Naruto could join his clones in the fray, he noticed Robin sneaking out the door of the palace with the King and Gaara in tow. He wanted to follow them. Wanted see exactly what she was up to, but the sudden instinct to duck tore his attention away from the trio. Naruto rolled to the side just before a handful of quills impaled the ground where he had been standing. Naruto's head snapped to the left, locking eyes with his attacker. A rather short, rotund man with sharp hairs protruding from his head, his forearms, and the bottom of his pant legs. Dressed in a well pressed black suit, he stood facing Naruto, his fist outstretched. "Naruto Uzumaki." He spat. "You are wanted for the murder of government officials, the impersonation of delegates to the World Government, and other heinous acts."

"I don't feel wanted." Naruto said, appearing next to the man. "How about bringing some flowers next time." Naruto prodded the sharp hairs on the back of his opponent's arm. "Is this one of those devil fruit powers I heard about? Seems kinda strange."

This only seemed to infuriate the man. "Surrender or die!" The man shot his other arm forward. **"Harinezumigan!"** (Porcupine gun) quills launched from the back of his fist.

"Sheesh. I was just trying to be polite." said Naruto as he lazily backflipped over the needles, putting some space back between them. While inverted, Naruto lazily tossed a handful of shuriken back at the man.

Puffing out his chest, the man shouted, **"Tekkai"** The shuriken bounced off of his hardened muscles, and the squat man scoffed. "Little toys like that are no match for my government training."

' _Everyone in this World Government and their mothers could give Ebisu a run for his money in the stick up the ass category.'_ Naruto thought, "So you think your training is the best in the world? And I imagine you never question your orders, thinking the World Government is a shining example of honor and justice that can do no wrong."

"All who oppose the might of the World Government will die under our absolute Justice!" The Man said. 'Yup, just like Ebisu….' Naruto sighed, "Why is it always my responsibility to deal with these people?"

"Feel the wrath of my porcupine Rokushiki, **Harinezumi: Rankyaku!** " (Porcupine storm leg) The man viciously kicked out with his leg, forming a blade of condensed air. Naruto bent over backwards, letting the technique to slip by, the air blade cut through the air a hair's breadth away from his body. However, Naruto hadn't taken into account the porcupine quills hidden inside the blade. The short barbs peppered his upper body, and several lodged themselves in his cheeks. They looked eerily similar to, and in some ways complimented, the whisker marks he had been born with.

"That's it!" Naruto fumed, tearing the small quills out of his body. "I get enough crap for these things as it is. No way in hell am I letting you give me more of them." Naruto dove behind the World Government agent. With clasped hands, index and middle fingers extended, Naruto thrust forward with all his might. **"Sennen Goroshi!"** (1000 years of death). The man never knew what hit him. He disappeared through the wall of the nearest building like a stray cannonball, breaking through brick and mortar as if it were no more than wet paper. "How do you like them apples!" Naruto shouted. He danced a short, but suitably vulgar victory dance.

Naruto's celebration was cut short by the memories of a clone from elsewhere in the city. Somebody had called in some heavy reinforcements in the form of a massive Bananadile and it was making a mess of things. Naruto turned to see dust billowing up into the air, and he could feel the city shake under the reptile's bulk. Naruto wasn't sure how Crocodile had been able to get that thing into the city unnoticed, but it didn't matter. He had to get over there and take care of that thing personally.

" **Rankyaku: Hyakusen!"** (Storm leg, 100 lines)

"Shi…." Naruto took the full brunt of a hundred compressed air bullets. He went sailing through the air down the street. Crashing into a house at the end of the road, his momentum carried his body through the wall. Plaster and stone crumbled around him as the dust cleared. Half in, half out of the building, Naruto groaned as he drug himself out of the broken structure. His navy blue shirt had been been ripped to shreds, and a slow trickle of blood ran down the side of his face. Naruto was not happy. Playtime was over, Naruto had a measure of this government weakling, and his skills were needed elsewhere. Naruto slammed through a pair of hand signs, **"Doton: Yomi Numa!"** (Earth release: Swamp of the underworld) Naruto plunged his chakra enhanced hands into the rock hard earth. The ground around his hands liquefied into a putrid swamp. The technique expanded rapidly, encompassing the entire road and several small buildings. Houses started to sink into the muck, while carts and food stands simply disappeared into the swamp's putrid depths. Naruto used his chakra to stay atop the murky substance, and walked over to his now trapped opponent. "My control over this technique is shoddy at best. If you want to live, I suggest you start talking." He said, crouching over the nearly submerged man.

"Never." the man said, struggling to keep his head above the surface.

A slight sizzling began to emanate from the ooze. "Your loss, this swamp will slowly eat you alive." Naruto said with a shrug. "The question is whether or not you will drown before it does."

The man grimaced, the pain of being eaten by the demonic swamp etched into his face. "What is this?!"

Naruto smiled cruelly. "This is a swamp that I have summoned from the farthest reaches of Mount Myoboku. Composed of all sorts of oils, toxins, and excrements from the toads that live there, it is just about the nastiest substance on the planet." Naruto kicked a bit of the sludge at the man's face. He groaned in pain as the toxic sludge burned through his face. "Now, how about we try this again. I ask and you answer. If you're good I'll let you live." Naruto's opponent stilled himself in an attempt to sink beneath the surface. "Sorry, I can't let you do that." Naruto commented as he grabbed the man by his collar. Naruto didn't even flinch when his hand was impaled by the quills sprouting from the back of the agent's head. "I was content to dance around trading blows hoping you'd blab something important so we could both go home at the end of the day, but I'm done playing games now. There are other, more important things going on here. You attacked me, and I want to know why and on whose orders."

/\/\/\

Gaara exhaled with satisfaction as he finally got to work out his frustrations. Only Naruto could have landed them in trouble like this. Predicaments like this followed the blond fanatically. Naruto always ended up at their center, causing chaos and destruction. Gaara begrudgingly knew that his best friend rarely contributed the cause of the events, but Gaara just couldn't understand why the problems Naruto found were always on such a world altering scale. After fighting so hard for peace, the Elemental nations deserved a respite, but now who knew what would happen. The World Government was larger than their homeland and inherently more powerful because of that size difference. The fact that they enjoyed getting their way had become quite apparent in Gaara's limited dealings with the organization. Between them, the ridiculous policies being enforced by his own leaders, and the lack of stability in the outside world, Gaara knew this whole thing would likely explode in their hands. The questions was, what would it cost them?

Gaara let those worries fade to the back of his mind for the time being. Robin had left him to guard the Palace gates, while she went to collect King Cobra with Crocodile. As a third party in the Alabastan conflict, Gaara came under attack from both Palace Guards and Rebels as they stormed the building. Pulverizing each group of men that attempted to gain access to the palace proved to be a great stress reliever, an almost therapeutic one. He supposed he could have gone easier on his would be attackers, but shinobi were not exactly known for their sympathy. Basic mission guidelines compelled him to remove his opponents from the equation. Gaara had been hired, however unofficially, to act as a bodyguard. These people were attempting to get through him, and thus to Robin. That meant they needed to be neutralized.

Gaara sensed Naruto's arrival, but his companion did not seek him out. With this much fighting going on, the clone happy sage would focus his attention on the root of the problem not him, so Gaara could enjoy his anger management for a while longer. Gaara's fun ended when Robin returned shortly after he had sensed Naruto's arrival. Crocodile no longer accompanied her, but the tall, black haired, Nefertari Cobra did. Two painful looking stab wounds marred the King's shoulders, dripping blood down his limp arms. A quick glance, and Gaara knew the wounds were not life threatening. Painful yes, but the man would live. Unrestrained and fully cognisant, Robin did not seem to have any leverage over the man, yet Cobra followed her nonetheless. This compliance triggered a warning in Gaara's mind, but he wasn't given any time to ponder.

"Time to go." Robin said, not bothering to stop as she led them away from the palace.

A few Royal guards made a last ditch attempt to bypass Gaara and recover their king. As he fell into step with his charge, Gaara dispatched the guards with a wave of his hand. Sand leapt from the ground on his back, and swatted them away like bugs.

"Impressive as usual." Robin commented as they continued away from the palace.

They wandered down several streets, making no efforts to hide from the various inhabitants of the city. Gaara simply dispatched anyone foolish enough to challenge them, but the further they got from the palace, the less interference they ran into. However, when they finally cleared the farthest reaches of the battle, the trio came face to face with an entire regiment of Marines. Gaara recognized the group as the same Marines who had been in Rainbase chasing after the Strawhats. Their captain was not at the front of their formation, but his second in command, Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, stood ready at the front of the group.

"Move." Robin commanded. "I have something important to do, and I don't have time to deal with misguided marines."

"We can't do that." Tashigi answered with a surprising amount of steel in her voice. "Devil Child, Nico Robin for crimes against the world government you're under arrest."

"Even with all this chaos, the Marines still won't leave me alone. Your energy would be much better spent saving the people of this country." Robin sighed. She went to cross her arms, as she always did before activating her powers, but Gaara put his hand up to stop her.

"I believe I am still contracted to be your bodyguard." He said. Stepping forward, he looked at Tashigi, "Part of being a good leader is knowing when to retreat." He offered flatly. "In consideration of your men and their well being I suggest you do so now." Despite his cold tone, steely eyes, and the minor amount of killing intent that laced his words, Gaara could tell the woman would not budge. He briefly considered slaughtering them all to send a message, but that would only validate whatever claims the World Government laid against him.

"Consorting with a wanted felon and interfering with a Marine operation is a crime." Tashigi announced. "Men arrest both of them!" She ordered.

"Don't say that I didn't warn you." Gaara grunted. With an upturned hand, he made a claw like gesture. The ground underneath the marines liquified and swallowed the whole regiment. Gaara left their heads above ground as he swirled the sand around their bodies and constricted it. He waited until the weakest of the group began to pass out before releasing some of the tension in the sand. Gasps of breath could be heard throughout the group. Gaara looked directly at Tashigi. "If you do not learn from this experience, your life will not be a very long one. Know when to retreat so that you and your subordinates may live to fight another day." Gaara turned to Robin, "After you."

Robin smiled as she led Gaara and Cobra though the partially buried marines. She took extreme pleasure kicking dirt into their faces as she walked by.

/\/\/\

Naruto stared as the massive Bananadile romped around the city, kicking over buildings and crushing people with its tail. "Well it's not exactly subtle, but I guess it is a good distraction." He muttered, watching soldiers and rebels alike attempted to bring down the beast. Their attacks were pitifully ineffective. Swords, spears, and guns did nothing more than annoy the croc. Retaliating with an open jaw, a swinging tail, and stomping feet, the reptile crushed any challengers. Naruto was tempted to summon one of the toads. They would enjoy fighting the reptile, but the property damage from a grudge match of that size would be astronomical. Resigned to facing it himself, Naruto formed a handful of clones. "Alright boys, get those people away from that thing." As one, the group of clones teleported into the street and drug the croc's various victims out of its path. Naruto moved to stand directly in front of the great reptile. Up close, he could see that it rivaled Gamabunta in size. Naruto smirked when the creature stopped its rampage to stare at him. "I don't like reptiles and you're having a bit too much fun picking on the small fries." he said. Naruto cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck from side to side. "How about someone a little stronger?"

The croc roared and charged forward, fully intent on crushing its newest challenger. Naruto leapt straight at the reptile and with a flourishing spin of his body, delivered a vicious downward kick directly to the croc's nose. The massive beast slammed down into the street, sending a cloud of dust out in all directions. The city shook all the way down to its foundation, tremors radiating out from the impact like waves. But, like most reptiles Naruto had dealt with over the course of his career, the bananadile was not one to be put down so easily. With a roar of pain and anger, it lifted itself off the ground, and In a surprisingly fast movement, the croc twisted its head and snapped up Naruto in its jaws.

Despite the surprise, Naruto kept himself from being swallowed. "Oh, hell no!" Naruto grunted. Standing between the animal's jaws, he held its razor sharp teeth at bay in an impressive feat of strength. "I refuse to be eaten by some stupid reptile again." Channeling raw wind chakra through his hands and feet, Naruto disintegrated the crocodile's teeth and jumped out of its now broken and bleeding mouth. Landing in the street, he turned to face the staggered beast. It shook its head as if to clear its mind before charging once again. Naruto's face grew serious. He had given the croc ample time to retreat at his own risk, but it was time to end this trivial battle. Forming the ox, rabbit and then the dragon handsigns, Naruto held out his right palm. He waited as electricity crackled to life in his right hand, once the chakra had formed into a misshapen ball, Naruto dropped it, drew his foot back, and shouted, **"Raiton: Kogasudan."** (lightning release: scorching bullet) Naruto kicked the chakra construct a moment before it hit the ground, and launched it towards the massive reptile. The technique wobbled, dancing left and right, as it rocketed through the air. The electrified bullet flew into the croc's open jaws and disappeared down its gullet. A split second later a pulse of electricity erupted from within the beast. The blast killed the reptile and scorched everything in its immediate vicinity. Naruto tossed a scroll to one of his clones, who had returned after evacuating people from the area. "Seal it up and send this guy to Bunta. It's not a snake, but It should make him happy anyway. He's always hated reptiles. And try and get some sake out of them. We're going to need it when we have to talk to Baachan"

"You got it boss."

Naruto left his clone to handle the cleanup and jumped to the top of the nearest building. He looked towards the Palace, and could see Crocodile leaving a slumping Luffy behind. "Damn, I hope I'm not too late."

He was at Luffy's side a few short jumps later, and It did not look good. The Strawhat captain was bloodied, beaten, and he looked unconscious if not outright dead. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest told Naruto the teen was still alive. "Luffy?" Naruto bent down to poke the teen, but just as he reached out, Luffy kipped up to his feet and nearly knocked over Naruto in the process.

"Ah, that was a great nap." Luffy turned his head left then right. When his eyes finally settled on Naruto, he looked confused. "Naruto, where'd that shitty Croc go? He was right here when I fell asleep. I still need to kick his ass."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh. It seemed Luffy was too stubborn, too determined, or possibly too stupid to die. Someone up high must be looking after the carefree kid. Naruto was genuinely curious how things would turn out if he just let them run their course. "He went that way" Naruto managed to gasp out between fits of laughter, pointing in the general direction that Crocodile had gone. "Come on, I'll go with you to make sure you don't fall asleep again." Naruto offered, barely composing himself enough for speech..

"Thanks Naruto!" Luffy shouted, running off in the direction Naruto had pointed.

Naruto ran after him only to slam directly into the rubber boy when he stopped a few paces later.

"Naruto, join my crew. You can be the ship's alarm clock!"

Naruto, midway through picking himself up, promptly fell face first back into the earth. What kind of position was alarm clock? "Is this guy for real?" Naruto groaned, before picking himself up. "Luffy, I will never join your crew if you make an offer like that again. Now focus on the real issue here. Crocodile, his ass, and kicking it so hard he'll never be able to sit down ever again."

"Right!" Luffy Shouted, taking off after Crocodile once again.

/\/\/\

The massive black stone at the back of the royal tomb drew all attention to its precise black carvings. Gaara couldn't read the inscriptions, but they reminded him of something he had seen in the First Kazekage's journal. Something like them had come through Wano at one point. Robin seemed enthralled by by the pitch black block. She spent several minutes carefully looking over each symbol inscribed upon the stone. Gaara could say that in the three days he had been around her, she had never shown anything close to this level of excitement or happiness. Much like with Naruto and himself, a dark shadow loomed over her. Some part of her past had scarred her, permanently. A part of him was curious about it, but Gaara doubted he would ever see her again once his services were no longer needed. So, he simply let it go.

"So what does it say?" Gaara turned and saw Crocodile enter the chamber. "Where is Pluton?"

"It doesn't say anything about Pluton." Robin answered "It is just a written history of this country and its founding centuries ago"

"I see." Crocodile muttered. "That's too bad. You were such a good partner. All these years, my second in command. You led Baroque Works to what it is today, but now you will die. Our agreement has come to an end, and I no longer need you. In the end, you failed to deliver what you promised, but that's ok. I forgive you. Because I never trusted anyone to begin with!" Crocodile lunged towards Robin, swinging his hooked hand at her head. Only, Crocodile never heard nor felt the satisfying crunch of impaling her skull.

"I believe this was why you hired me." Gaara monotoned, holding the hook with his bare hand.

"Yes." Robin replied, blinking in slight surprise. She had not seen Gaara move. He had simply appeared between her and her former employer. "Thank you Gaara." She turned to face Crocodile. "I knew you were going to betray me just like everyone else, so I brought insurance of my own."

Crocodile laughed. "You know who I am, and what I can do, and you bring this brat as insurance. He's barely any better than that Straw Hat shit I just killed." Crocodile ripped his hook from Gaara's grasp, and grabbed at him with his other arm in an attempt to drain him of all the moisture in his body. However instead of shriveling up, Gaara simply stood there staring at the Shichibukai. The man's eyes widened briefly before he pulled his hand back and observed Gaara calculatingly. Even Robin looked on in slight surprise. She had yet to see someone simply ignore one of the traits of the sand sand fruit. "Maybe you did pick someone of worth. It's a shame he has to die now because of your selfish decisions." Crocodile grunted. He removed the outermost layer from his hook, exposing the porous metal underneath the gleaming gold. A purplish liquid oozed from within the weapon. "The scorpion venom in this hook is the most poisonous substance this side of the Red Line. It kills quite painfully."

The room shook, dust fell from the ceiling. Enough so that everyone paused to search for the origin of the tremor. Gaara simply turned his attention to King Cobra. "So you went through with it." He had noticed the King pushing and pulling at the base of column Robin had left him at some time ago. He had not been sure if the downtrodden king had been making a bid for freedom or attempting to destabilize the room. "You know this will kill you too?"

"That's the idea." Cobra grunted as he pulled a second the brick out of the column causing it to collapse. "As King of Alabasta it is my sworn duty to protect it from those that would do it harm. Even if it costs me my life. Now our secrets will be safe, buried under the sand for the rest of eternity, and our enemies buried with it. I knew if I waited long enough I could get you all down here. It was the only way to end this."

The reasoning behind him compliance finally came forth. Kobra had planned to kill them all from the moment they left the palace."Well said. An admirable quality in any leader, but you forget that this man has control over sand." Gaara motioned towards Crocodile. "If I weren't here you would have just ensured his success." Cobra blanched at Gaara's words, but he could not undo what he had already set in motion.

"You act like your presence here will make a difference." Crocodile chuckled darkly. "I will kill you, I will kill Nico Robin, and I will let Nefertiri Cobra die in a tomb of his own making. I am sand. I cannot be buried, and I cannot be beaten in this desert."

"No one is unbeatable." Gaara countered, sand issuing forth from his gourd. "Do you still have to breathe when you transform? Or do you truly become sand?" Gaara's sand floated just outside his gourd for a moment. The Kazekage launched it forward with a flick of his wrist. The sand split, moving to surround Crocodile. It formed into the beginnings of a dome as it approached the Shichibukai.

"It's not possible…." Crocodile muttered in disbelief. He swung his arm in an arc, attempting to halt the oncoming sand. It slowed momentarily, but refused to heed his call. Despite the shock at seeing another sand user, the veteran pirate did not allow himself to be trapped. As soon as he realized he could not stop the incoming attack, Crocodile dissolved and slipped around it.

Gaara tried to exert his control over the sand Crocodile transformed into, but found his chakra could not penetrate it. Unfazed, Gaara moved the sand he could control to entrap Crocodile. The Shichibukai reformed his body before Gaara could trap him, and stabbed his right hand into the earth. **"Desert spada!"** A blade of sand erupted from the earth, extending out from Crocodile's hand in the blink of an eye. Gaara rolled to the side, letting the blade continue past him harmlessly, and waved his arm, moving a large tendril of sand in front of himself. **"Rendan Suna Shigure."** (Successive shots sand drizzle)Bullets of sand spewed from the tendril. Unsurprisingly, they passed harmlessly through Crocodile's body. Gaara grunted in slight disappointment. He had hoped that sand infused with his chakra would disrupt the other man's abilities, but it appeared not.

Crocodile laughed as the holes in his body reformed. "I don't know how you are controlling a sand, but I am sand. I am the master of the desert. You will never beat me with my own element." The room shook as another column collapsed. He smiled cruelly "And you're running out of time. This room is going to collapse and bury you all." He dispersed his body again, disappearing into the dust that filled the room.

Gaara eyes searched the room as he moved to correct what Cobra had started. **"Saikō Zettai Bōgyo: Shukaku no Tate"** (Ultimate Defense: Shield of Shukaku) Sand wrapped around Gaara before extending out in front of his body. The sand morphed into the shape of Shukaku, the one tailed tanuki. The massive sand construct stuck its arms upward and into the ceiling. The room's shaking lessened as Gaara's technique supported the load of the ceiling.

"I'm impressed. You bought yourself some more time, but what happens when I kill you!" Crocodile shouted, reforming behind Gaara and sending another blade of sand towards the Kazekage.

Gaara didn't even acknowledge the attack. He just stared at the Shichibukai impassively as the attack splashed up against his sand armor. The blade of sand had not even scratch his armor. Gaara tracked the pirate, stretching fingers and lifting his palm upwards. " **Sabaku Kyū,"** (Sand Binding Coffin) Sand erupted all around Crocodile, coalescing into a dome as it came together. With his target entombed within the ball of sand, Gaara smiled murderously. **"Sabaku Sōsō"** (Sand Waterfall Funeral) He closed his fingers, crushing them into a fist. The sand prison imploded with the gesture, but there were no screams of pain, and when he released the technique, no blood dripped from the sand.

"Impressive." The bodiless voice of Crocodile grunted, as sand swirled and he reformed. "I commend you on your effort. Few can claim to have trapped me and none in my own element. The only problem, is that even if you can control the sand, you still can't kill me with it. Nobody can."

"Everyone can be killed." Gaara replied. "All it takes is one mistake." Silently and motionlessly, he commanded a small tendril of sand to rise up behind the man. Gaara forced the sand forward in an attempt to impale the pirate, but once again he pieced nothing but sand.

"Good try, but you're too slow." Crocodile taunted. "I made a mistake early in my career, and it cost me my hand. I've spent the last twenty years making sure it won't happen again. I am a Shichibukai. One of the seven warlords of the sea. A nameless pirate like you could never defeat me." Crocodile spat. "Now it's time for you to die."

Gaara's eyes narrowed into a hell freezing glare. He was tired of playing cat and mouse. Crocodile's intangibility made him a unique opponent, but his overall control over sand paled in comparison to Gaara's. Flooding the room with his chakra, Gaara prepared to liquify everything around them. He would simply overpower his opponent and drown him in his own element.

"As much as I would love to see you utterly crush this bastard. You're interfering with an unfinished fight Gaar."

Gaara turned to see Naruto calmly walking into the crumbling tomb. A bloodied, and utterly exhausted looking Luffy limped at his side. Gaara debated just ending it despite Naruto's interruption, but he could see the conviction in Monkey D. Luffy's eyes.

"Fine, but end it quick." Gaara muttered, walking over towards Robin and Cobra. "I'm done holding the room together."

"Kuhahaha, you have to be joking." Crocodile spat. "I don't know how you are still alive Straw Hat, but you can barely even stand. And the rest of you are fools to think he can actually beat me. I've already beaten him, TWICE! You're just a small fish that will never amount to anything in this vast ocean. Besides, you are too late to stop the bomb. Even if your precious Princess Vivi can find it, and stop my agents, it's on a timer. It won't be as effective, but thousands of people will still die. You've failed Straw Hat."

"You're wrong." Luffy growled. "I will surpass you, and I will win. BECAUSE I AM GOING TO BE THE PIRATE KING!"

Crocodile lunged at the teen, and stabbed him with his hook. Luffy grunted in pain, but as the warlord withdrew the weapon, Luffy stomped on the hook. The metal shattered under the precise blow. Crocodile tried to taunt the young captain once again, but Luffy never gave him the chance. Rotating off the foot he had used to crush the hook, Luffy slammed his other foot into Crocodile's face. The spinning high kick made solid contact and launched Crocodile across the room.

"How? You don't have any water." Crocodile grunted, the barest hint of pain in his voice. He studied the young teen and quickly found the answer. "Your blood." Crocodile muttered, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Luffy had so many open wounds, that his entire body was slick with blood. As a liquid, it was enough to nullify Crocodile's abilities. He would have to beat this teen without his powers. "No matter, even without my abilities, you're still no match for me." Crocodile spat. A hidden blade extended from within his gauntlet to replace the broken hook. Crocodile jabbed at Luffy. But the young pirate just palmed the weapon to the side and delivered a bone shattering haymaker in the process.

The two pirates traded blow for blow, tearing the room apart as they went. Luffy unintentionally brought pillars down with his stretching limbs and wild attacks. Crocodile's counters shattered stone as he tried to reign in the young captain. Spears of sand sailing every which way only added to the chaos. The Royal Tomb would collapse any second, but the two combatants paid no mind to the danger of their surroundings. Their fight was the only thing that mattered in their minds. One desperate to prove he belonged on this level, the other arrogantly trying to deny him.

Finally, catching the veteran pirate off guard, Luffy launched Crocodile into the air, slamming him into the stone ceiling. Massive blocks fell, and the tomb crumbled, but Crocodile carried on unfazed. **"Desert Razors"** He shouted as he leapt off the ceiling, dozens of small blades forming alongside him.

Luffy not one to be outdone, Inflated himself like a balloon. Expelling all the air in his body, he created enough momentum to meet Crocodile head on. Ripping his arms back as far as he could stretch them, Luffy cried out **"Gomu Gomu no Storm!"** A flurry of rage fueled punches met Crocodile's blades in an earth shattering slam. Crocodile could not match the brute force of Luffy's attack. Countless punches slammed into him from the rookie pirate, pushing him back into, and eventually beating him through the ceiling to the world above. Crocodile saw blue sky, he saw people no longer fighting, he saw the marines rounding up his forces, and he saw that his bomb had failed to destroy the city. His plan had failed. He had failed. He had been beaten. When he fell back to the earth, he lay unconscious, and utterly defeated.

"I told you he could do it." Naruto said. "Now pay up." He demanded holding out his hand.

"I should have known better than to bet against you." Gaara grumbled, handing over a small handful of bills.

Naruto smiled. Disappearing with a flicker of movement, he returned with Luffy draped over his shoulder. "Now that this is all done, and you've worked out some of your anger, are you ready to work with me to fix this mess?" Naruto asked.

"If I don't, we'll be in a war by the end of the week." Gaara replied. "But I still blame you for this mess."

"Hey, I didn't do anything."

"Be quiet Naruto. We're still in a desert" Sand started to swirl around Gaara ominously.

"Right. Totally my fault. I accept all the blame." Naruto amended nervously. He turned to Cobra. "What do you say we get you back in charge of this country." Naruto offered extending a hand towards the slumping king.

/\/\/\

I got a few reviews on the first two chapters, and it seems like I'm off to the kind of start that I want. Thank you all for the feedback, the favorites, and the follows. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Anton


	4. New Mission And A New Team

**Chapter 4: New Mission and a New Team**

"Somebody do something!" Chopper shouted, as iron spears pounded into the Going Merry. The Marines had waited for them to make their escape from Alabasta. They had set up a blockade at the mouth of the Sandora River in the hopes of capturing the Straw Hats. Currently, they were succeeding. Not even the noble sacrifice of MR. 2 had been enough to slow their pursuers.

"Usopp, SHOOT THE DAMN CANNON!" Nami screeched from the helm as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all did their best to deflect or return the incoming projectiles. It just wasn't enough. Chopper was right. They needed to do something, and quick. If they couldn't break through the blockade, their careers as pirates were over. They would be doomed to the execution platform or locked up in a dark cell for the rest of their lives. Looking up, Nami saw another volley of spears streaking towards them, whistling through the air as they flew. Headed directly for Going Merry, this volley would be the last. It would end them. It was all over. Nami gave a frightful scream, and closed her eyes. Her life had been short, and painful, but these last few months had been worth it. A new chapter where things were finally turning up, but apparently it had all been too good to be true. But, the dull thunk of steel impaling wood, and the explosion of splinters that tended to accompany it never came. Nami opened her eyes hesitantly. _Is death this painless?_ She wondered. A fiery explosion lit up the sky above them. It swallowed the projectiles, and reduced them to dust. Stunned, her mind filled the gap in reality with the only possible solution. "Usopp! You're amazing!" she cheered, all thoughts of doom and destruction gone.

"But I didn't…." Usopp went quiet when he noticed two streaks of water heading right for them. "Ah! Torpedo!" He shouted diving for the deck.

/\/\/\

Gaara and Naruto sprinted across the ocean towards Merry, sending sprays of water up into the air as they trampled the water. The duo launched themselves into the air, vaulting the over Going Merry. Naruto waved to the stunned crew as they sailed through the ship's rigging. Without missing a beat, they landed back on the water and ran straight towards the pursuing Marines.

/\/\/\

The Strawhats watched in silent awe as Naruto created a handful of his trademark clones. They descended on the lead ship, swarming its deck. At the same time Gaara took on the two secondary vessels, sand flying about, ripping into the two ships. Almost immediately, the marines began to drift off course.

"Che, showoffs." Sanji muttered, a tinge of jealousy in his voice.

Zoro landed next to him on mast, and grunted in agreement.

"They can run on water?!" Usopp shouted. "But… But…"

Chopper rocked back and forth happily. "Naruto's so cool."

Stars filled Luffy's eyes. "Nami can you see this!? Make Naruto join our crew."

Seeing the opening they needed to escape, Nami wasted no time in waiting for Luffy and the others to come to their senses. They could marvel over Naruto's skills later. "Sanji! Zoro!" She cried. "Let out the sails. Now! We're getting out of here."

/\/\/\

Naruto had expected Smoker to be on the lead ship, but he was wrong. Instead of getting a rematch against the venerable captain, he stood face to face with a busty, pink haired, woman in a red suit. "Who are you?" Naruto asked with a hint of confusion.

"Hina is Captain Hina." The woman answered. She looked almost as confused as Naruto. "Who is attacking Hina's ship? You are not a member of the Straw Hat pirates." She asked watching Naruto's clones engage her crew with a calculating eye.

Naruto disappeared in a flicker of movement. "Naruto Uzumaki, ninja extraordinaire, at your service." Naruto offered, appearing directly behind the captain. "Unfortunately, I can't let you capture my new friends." Naruto whispered into her ear. Something about pink hair always did it for him, and he couldn't resist the urge to play with her. "But maybe I can offer up myself as a prize instead." Said Naruto. "I promise you won't be disappointed." He added, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Hina is not amused." Hina turned into him with a deliberate and powerful step. Her body stretched as she actually stepped through Naruto. A cold tingle permeated his body, and when she came out the other side, a steel cage had formed around him. Barely a millimeter of wiggle room remained. He was totally trapped.

"Kinky" Naruto mused from within his newfound prison. "I take it this is one of those devil fruits."

"Hina ate the cage cage fruit." She explained as she captured one of Naruto's clones. "Hina will not let you or the Straw Hats escape." She turned to capture another of his clones, who had several of her crew in a big unconscious pile. Her arm stretched, turing into a steel lattice, and wrapped around the doppelganger. Just like the original, he found himself trapped in a steel cage. Rather than try to escape, the clone simply dispelled in a poof of smoke, leaving its metal binding to clatter against the deck of the ship. "Hina wonders if you have eaten a clone fruit?"

"Boss we're all set!" Naruto wiggled in his cage, turning to see another clone standing atop two marines near the helm. He had destroyed the wheel so severely that there was no hope of steering the ship. Naruto could already feel the large vessel veering off course.

"What have you done to Hina's ship? Jango, Fullbody! What are you two doing?" Hina growled. The only members of her crew still standing were the handful of her crew that had remained within her attack radius. All others including the two named marines were either unconscious or groaning underneath Naruto's clones. They tried to move, tried to fight off their opponent, none of them could. Hina tugged on her gloves menacingly, and glowered at Naruto. "Hina will make you pay for this."

"Well as much fun as that sounds, I didn't really get anything worth paying for, so, I think I'll go back to my friend's ship now." Naruto replied. _Kurama, you up for stretching your legs a bit? I feel like making a flashy escape._ Naruto offered internally. The fox had been surprisingly quiet over the last few days, but it was only fair to give the bijuu the chance to come out and play. **"** _ **Why not.**_ **"** Kurama's chakra flooded into Naruto's system. **"** _ **I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me."**_ Blood red chakra bubbled out of Naruto's body, coalescing into the vague shape of a four tailed fox. Naruto's eyes shone crimson with hatred, his canines elongated, and his fingernails sharpened to deadly claws. The fear of those still standing became palpable, as a wave of malice washed over the ship. Only Hina could withstand the feeling with any confidence, and even then Naruto saw her waver.

" **Boo"** Kurama's gravely voice spat. Several of the marines whimpered, scurrying back away from Naruto's body. Kurama smiled. Terrifying mortals still brought him the utmost pleasure. With a grunt, he made Naruto's body snap the metal bindings of Hina's cage. **"Much better. I've spent too much time in cages during my life. I don't think I'll let you put me back in one."**

"Who are you?" Hina asked, "No one can break Hina's cage."

" **I'm not someone, I am something."** Kurama growled as he took a menacing step towards her and her crew. **"I am a demon!"**

Years of Marine training kicked in, and Hina ignored the terror she should have felt. Bringing her arms to bear, she shouted, "Awase Baori!" Two whip like cages of metal sprouted from her arms, and with a heave of strength, she slammed the two cages together. The steel wrapped around Naruto's body, completely covering him in bands of overlapping metal. The resulting prison had no openings. It was a human sized, human shaped, ball of metal. She would not allow him the wiggle room he needed to break free again. A confident Hina approached the motionless ball. "No one escapes the Black Cage Corps." Turning back to her crew she shouted. "Back to work, or the Straw Hats will get away." The few still conscious sailors ran back to their posts. With her primary target captured, Hina marched over to the last of Naruto's clones. Despite not understanding very much about her opponent, she did know the clones were much weaker than the original. "Surrender now." Hina growled.

Still standing atop the destroyed helm, the clone looked like it was waiting for something. Paying no mind to her, he just stared at the metal prison on the deck below. "Lady, you're hot, so I'll give you a tip. The Boss doesn't know how to lose, and when The Fox is in charge, well, it's not pretty. I'd run if I were you." He said, before vaulting off the ship. The clone's departure was accompanied by the ear splitting shriek of tearing metal. Hina turned to see a demonic looking Naruto rip his way out of the prison she had left him in.

" **Well, that was fun, but like I said I've grown too accustomed to being free."** Looking up, the bijuu saw that no marines had made it back up into the top sails. He doubted Naruto would let him out again any time soon if he mindlessly slaughtered these sailors, so he settled for a little wanton destruction. In a blur, he appeared in front of the ship's mast. With a movement that appeared to be as easy as breathing, Kurama splintered the massive wooden pole in a single kick. The mast and everything attached to it crumpled, crippling the ship.

Hina watched the display of power with abject horror. Her ship was ruined, utterly useless, and it had only taken one kick. She had never been so completely defeated. The red, demonic, cloak around Naruto faded, and his features returned to normal. Naruto looked directly at her, and smiled sheepishly. Rubbing the back of his head, he said, "Sorry about that, the furball got carried away. I'll make it up to you the next time we meet."

A sudden breeze picked up and a small cluster of leaves floated across the deck. Hina watched Naruto disappeared with the floating leaves, as if he were traveling on the wind itself. "Hina is confused, Hina is angry, and Hina has lost." The marine captain moaned. "Signal the other ships, we're retreating for now." She ordered. "I want everyone healthy and the ships repaired in three days. "The Black Cage Corps does not let Pirates escape."

/\/\/\

After crushing the rudders, of the pursuing ships, Gaara ran to the safety of the now distant Going Merry. His sudden appearance put the Strawhats on edge. Zoro readied his swords, Sanji bounced on his ankles anxiously, and Usopp dove for cover. Clearly they did not trust him. At least until Luffy spotted him. "Hey Sandy Guy. What are you doing on our ship?" Luffy made a placating gesture to the rest of the crew. "It's ok guys, Sandy Guy helped me fight Crocodile."

"My name is Gaara. Not Sandy Guy." Gaara grunted.

"Oh, sorry Sandy Guy." Luffy replied. "I'll try to remember that. Will you join my crew?"

Gaara barely resisted the urge to turn the teen into red paste. Sand had already started to inch out of his gourd when he calmed himself. "No."

"But you could make sand castles for us." Luffy pouted.

"I'd kill myself first." Gaara growled.

"No need to be so grumpy." Luffy whined, mumbling about awesome sand castles that would never be.

Gaara was thankful when the dreadful presence of the Kyuubi washed over the Going Merry, and captured everyone's attention.

"W.. wh... what's that?" Usopp quivered, his knees knocking in fright.

"Naruto." Gaara answered, as he turned to look back at the slowing marine warships. They were still close enough that he could just make out Kurama's red chakra pouring out of Naruto's body.

"Naruto is doing that?" Nami asked, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Yes, but he's just showing off. He wants to scare your new friends away." Naruto had spent several days with the Straw Hats before and after the battle in Alubarna, and in comparison to his usual demeanor, Kurama's malicious presence had to be unnerving.

"My, my, what a lively ship. It seems we've outrun our pursuers. Well done everyone." The crew and Gaara turned to see Nico Robin stepping out the door of the cabin and onto the deck.

Zoro immediately went for his swords. "What are you doing here?" He spat towards the woman.

"Simple, I've come to join the crew."

"What!" The Straw Hats, minus Luffy cried.

"Captain san has to take responsibility for what he did to me." Robin explained. "Did he not tell you I was joining?"

"Luffy!" His crew shouted.

"Oops, I forgot." The captain said with a shrug. "She's our new archeologist."

"Luffy what did you do?" Nami shouted.

"I believe it was what he didn't allow Robin to do. Gaara and I had equal parts in it as well. as well." A new voice answered. Naruto had appeared. Two of him had, and both he and his clone stood horizontally on the main mast, much to Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp's amusement. "Here you go boss." The clone handed over a scroll before dispelling. Naruto took the small container and bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood. With a practiced movement, he smeared a small blotch over a portion of the scroll, and popped it open. "Here I picked this up for you guys." A marine issue Den Den Mushi appeared from the parchment. Naruto did not give anyone time to question the mechanics of a sealing scroll. "We can't stay this time, but if you ever need help, just give us a call and we'll come as quick as we can." With a smile he tossed the communication snail to Robin.

"Did you get what you needed?" Gaara asked.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded.

"Then we need to go."

"Sorry we can't stay guys." Naruto sighed. "The bosses are calling, and if we don't answer soon, then we're both dead."

"Naruto, what was that scary feeling? Gaara said it was you." Chopper asked.

Naruto smiled. "I just let a friend out of his cage for a bit. Don't worry Chopper, he's a nice guy. He's just a little scary, kinda like Zoro." Naruto explained. The green haired swordsman, had yet to take his eyes off Robin, and was unconsciously leaking a small amount of killing intent. Naruto gestured towards Zoro, and smiled when Chopper seemed to understand.

"Oh, Ok." The reindeer looked much happier after that explanation.

"Naruto, did Bon Chan get away too?" Luffy asked, in a surprisingly serious tone. Before Naruto and Gaara had shown up, the former Baroque Works agent had charged ahead with the Okama Pirates to give the Straw Hats a chance of escape.

"Yeah, they got away too." Naruto answered.

"Good." Luffy smiled. "And when you come back you're joining my crew." Childish determination permeated every word from the young captain.

"Hmm," Naruto scratched his chin. "What's the best food in the world?"

"Meat!" Luffy cheered.

"Sorry wrong again. I'm still not joining." Seeing Luffy slump in defeat, Naruto jumped down next to the young captain and patted him on the back. "One of these days Luffy, one of these days." With a swirl of leaves, Naruto appeared next to Gaara. "Alright let's get on with it. Baa chan is going to kick my ass, might as well get it over with sooner than later."

Gaara nodded, goodbyes really weren't his thing, but he looked to Robin as he and Naruto prepared to leave. "Remember, true friends will help you overcome anything."

The archeologist looked at both of them with no small amount of uncertainty, but nodded nonetheless. Satisfied, Gaara jumped from the railing, and disappeared. Naruto took one last look at everyone and smiled. "Have enough fun for me too. Will ya?" He asked, earning a cheer from the Strawhats. "Later guys." Leaning backwards, he dropped off the side of the ship, and disappeared.

/\/\/\

After the fun filled adventures of Alabasta, the boredom of the open sea was a bit too much for Naruto. While he loved the endless hours of training, and the tranquility of the ocean, after a certain point, he just could not handle it. Naruto was a man of action, as proven by his prank riddled academy days. Thankfully, he and Gaara were finally within sight of Hannabal Island. The relatively small island rose sharply from the sea, and culminated into a high peak. Buildings covered most of the island. Its lone city stretching up the sides of the peak was only interrupted by the massive river that flowed from the top of the mountain. If Robin was to be believed, the island acted as favorite stopping point for pirates in this half of the grand line. Due to a network of caves that ran beneath its surface, miscreants and outlaws alike could land there and evade capture. With so many escape routes one would have to run towards the marines to be captured.

When Gaara had questioned her in the aftermath of the rebellion, Robin had claimed it would be the closest place they might find a ship. Something they sorely needed if they wanted to stay in this part of the world.

"There it is Gamatatsu. Get us there and you can go home." Naruto and Gaara had tried running to the island, but after two days of running on water even they had grown tired. Naruto had summoned Tatsu to ferry them the rest of the way. The giant amphibian complained for the almost the entire of the three days it had taken him to reach the island. Only the promise of a mountain of candy had been enough to spur him on. Thankfully this voyage went without any disastrous events such as the ones that had brought them to Marineford and branded them as criminals.

"Naruto niisan," Gamatatsu cried. "I'm tired."

The island lay only another mile or so away, but sometimes it just wasn't worth the trouble of arguing. "Fine we'll walk from here, but when you get back to Mt. Myoboku make sure Pa sends someone to Konoha. Let them know we will be visiting in soon." Naruto sighed, he really should have summoned Gamakichi instead. Kichi was the far more reasonable one of the two toad brothers. Then again he it took more to bribe him. Summoning did come with its difficulties. One couldn't have favorites when dealing with a group of sentient life forms contracted to serve you. Naruto jumped off Gamatatsu's head, landing softly on the ocean below. Turning he pulled a scroll out of his coat with the kanji for toad supplies on it. Naruto opened the scroll and searched for the proper seal. "Here's your candy." He grunted, unsealing a large canvas bag, easily the size of an elephant. "Don't forget the message to Konoha." He added, as he tossed the bag towards the toad.

"I won't forget. See you next time Naruto-ni." Tatsu replied cheerfully. The massive toad disappeared with a soft pop. A giant cloud of smoke and ripples on the ocean surface the only remainder of his presence.

"How much do you spend on candy to keep the toads happy?" Gaara asked.

"Well tatsu is the only one that likes candy, Kichi loves tobacco, and Bunta loves sake." Naruto explained. "I keep some of each with me at all times. Bunta gets really stingy though. Myoboku sake is already close to the best in the world, so finding sake that he likes is really hard."

"Part of me is glad that I never had the chance to sign the weasel contract like Temari and Kankuro." Gaara turned to look at the island. "We should get moving. We only have a few hours until they will be expecting us back in Konoha. We can't put this off any longer."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just not sure I'll ever be ready for the beating that I'm about to get." Naruto replied, setting off at a lazy trot towards the island. "At least I got Cobra to agree to help us."

"You're assuming Tsunade is going to let you live long enough to explain what he told you." Gaara countered, as he paced alongside Naruto.

"You sure I can't send just you back, and wait here for information through the toads?"

"I'm not going to sacrifice my life for you."

"But you owe me one. I helped Granny Chiho bring you back."

"So you're going to use that now, and turn me over to Tsunade after your screw up? Not to mention that you've been refusing any messages from her because, "She's not Hokage anymore." I'd rather have Shukaku sealed back into me and ripped out again for a second time."

"Will you at least give me some sand armor?"

"I'll think about it."

Resigning himself to his fate, Naruto stopped looking for ways around his impending doom. When they made landfall, the differences from Alabasta were immediately apparent. They landed in the harbor. Rather than plain merchant vessels, or the blue and white of marine ships that had populated Alabastan ports, ships of all sizes, colors, and makes decorated the docks here. Additionally, most, if not all, flew a jolly roger of some type. The shinobi jumped over one of the ships, landed on the docks, and slowed to a more sedate pace. Aside from the odd sentry or two, all of the ships appeared to be unoccupied.

"This looks promising, let's go find out where everyone is." Said Naruto, as they walked off the docks. Gaara did not answer, the Kazekage simply glared at his friend. "Fine, Fine, I'll send clones to check everything out and set up the marker." Naruto made a dozen clones. Nine of them scattered, taking off to inspect the various parts of the island, but three stayed with Naruto and Gaara. "Alright since you're so eager to see me die, step into the middle. You know how this works." Naruto grunted. With a scowl on his face, Naruto's clones formed a triangle around Gaara and himself. Interlocking their fingers the three started to channel their chakra. Naruto could feel them pulling from his supply as their limited supplies of energy dwindled. As one, they muttered, **"Hiraijin,"** and the world disappeared with a flash.

Seconds later, Gaara and Naruto reappeared thousands of miles away at the Hokage Tower in Konoha. The familiar walls of the council room greeted them. "Holy fuck that took a lot of chakra." Naruto gasped, falling to his hands and knees. The flying thunder formation technique had used nearly the entirety of his chakra.

" _ **Naruto, stop trying to kill yourself."**_ Kurama grumbled from within his mind. _**"You're lucky I was able to force some of my chakra into your system at the last second, otherwise you'd be dead."**_

" _I didn't realize we were that far away."_ Naruto shot back _"Can I get a little extra?"_ He asked. _"If Tsunade's going to kill me, I'd like to be able to stand for my execution."_ Kurama did not reply, but Naruto felt the warmth of the fox's chakra seeping into his system. _"Thanks"_ Still panting for his breath, Naruto rose to his feet, unsurprised to see an assembly of glowering faces. Gaara had been right, they were waiting. Killing intent wafted heavily through the air. Enough that he was beginning to regret his decision to return, but he had made his bed. Now it was time to lay in it. Doing the only thing he knew, Naruto smiled, rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "Yo. Long time no see."

There was a flicker of movement, Naruto's whole world flashed green for just a moment, and he caught a glimpse Tsunade's enraged face. But then, everything went black.

/\/\/\

Naruto felt like his head was going to explode, and like his body would soon to follow. Everything hurt, and he felt utterly drained. Even the prospect of opening his eyes felt like an impossible task. The thunderous roar of noises and voices around him drowned out any thoughts that may have spawned in his mind. So Naruto just laid there, painfully readjusting to the conscious world.

"So you mean to tell me that after creating this whole mess, Naruto's already created an extremely valuable contact with connections to the World Government?" Tsunade's voice felt like a jackhammer pounding away at Naruto's skull.

"Yes, though like I said, I do not have all the details. I was working on the opposite side of the rebellion in Alabasta. He also has first hand information about why our initial negotiations ended prematurely." Naruto thought he recognized Gaara's voice, but the everything felt distorted.

"I can't believe this." Tsunade muttered. "It was supposed to be so simple." There was a thump of what Naruto guessed was her head impacting a table. "Somebody get me some sake."

"Nothing is ever simple when Naruto is involved, but he always was the most reliable member of Team Seven. Even if his methods were unorthodoxed the results speak for themselves." Kakashi chimed in. "It's why we picked him for this job in the first place."

"Stop, stop yelling." Naruto groaned. "Can't a man die in peace?" The noise had become too much. His eyes burned as forced them open. He looked around and noticed he hadn't moved from where he had landed. Sprawled spread eagle in the middle of the Konoha Council Chamber, he grunted and sat up. "Sheesh, couldn't you have at least moved my body before starting the meeting? What if I had actually died?"

"Naruto….." Tsunade growled.

"Naruto, could you please fill us in on what you have discovered?" Kakashi asked lazily.

"Yeah, yeah, give me a second." Naruto answered hopping to his feet. With a couple bone popping stretches he shook himself out. "Damn, this is going to hurt for a while." He made his way over to an empty seat next to Shikamaru and, with deft fingers, plucked the lit cigarette from the strategist's mouth. He took a deep ragged breath, inhaling a lungful of putrid smoke. He immediately coughed and hacked. "Ugh, I thought these things were supposed to help with near death experiences." he spat. "How can you smoke these things?"

"Troublesome blond" The Nara muttered, as he pulled out another cigarette. "You have to inhale gently." He explained as he light up. With a smirk, he blowing a a long thin cloud of smoke into his friend's face. "Be lazy for once."

Nearby, the Raikage growled with frustration, clearly not happy with the pace at which Naruto was moving. Naruto turned to look at A and glared, "I just used all of my chakra to get back here to deliver important information, and then I nearly had my skull liquified by Baa-chan's fist of fury. I think I've earned a second or two to collect myself." Naruto spat. "Now let me fill in the blanks from Gaara's report." A backed down slightly, but the surly leader still did not look happy. "The World Government is not organized too dissimilarly to ourselves. At the top are the Gorosei, who act as the voices of the World Nobles, much like this council acts on behalf of the the Daimyo. Underneath them are The Marines who enforce their laws and fulfill the requirements of their military. While it seems like the average sailor isn't even a match for an academy student, they are millions strong." Naruto explained darkly. "Additionally, while significantly fewer in number, the top ranked marines, such as their vice admirals are easily on par with our high ranking Jounin. One of them, caught a rasengan with his bare hand in a spar against me."

A's eyes widened at that claim. Many shinobi feared the Rasengan for its strength. Minato Namikaze had obliterated opponents with during his time in the war. "Not even a brute like Kisame could have done that." Mei Muttered, thinking of the former swordsman.

"Monkey D. Garp is noted as being strong even amongst his peers but this is not something that can be overlooked." Gaara offered. "He should not be considered the norm."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "The best comparison would be to label him as a Sannin. His strength exceeds his position. Still we should consider it a warning about their potential. I do not know the exact number of Vice Admirals, but the three Admirals outrank Garp and are potentially stronger than him." Naruto cautioned. "Outside of The Marines, there are two other groups associated with the World Government, Cipher Pol and the Shichibukai. Cipher Pol handles espionage. They appear to be divided into ten different divisions, although only eight of them are recognized by the government. The two unrecognized divisions, division 0 and division 9 handle assassinations, sabotage, and other less appealing tasks. Much like our ANBU divisions. They are the ones that came after Gaara and I."

"And how do you know this?" Mei asked.

"Let say a few more things before I explain how. Outside the World Government, pirates are the only other major power in the world. The Shichibukai are big name pirates that have taken up contracts with the World Government in exchange for immunity. One of their members was behind the rebellion in Alabasta. His actions have presented us an opportunity. Because of my part in stopping the rebellion, Nefertiti Cobra is in my debt. He is a World Noble and his family was one of the twenty who founded the original World Government." Naruto explained. "I got a chance to talk with him and he's willing to help."

/\/\/\

(Alabasta Royal Palace Several Days Earlier)

"That's quite a story Naruto." Naruto slumped when he saw the look of doubt and contemplation on Cobra's face. "But stranger things have happened on the Grand Line. As to what happened to you in Marineford, I'm not surprised. Some of my compatriots feel that those who do not join the World Government are inherently against it. Wano has always been a bit of a sore subject because of its size and location. The refusal to allow us Marine base will not have sit well with some of our more militaristic leaders." Cobra explained.

"Can you help us?" Naruto asked. "I need to arrange for another team of diplomats if we want to take advantage of the opportunity that Sengoku gave me."

"Yes you do." Cobra agreed. "Are you ok with being labeled a criminal?"

"If that's what it takes to stop a war, then I have no problems with it." Naruto answered seriously.

"Then I will help. I can't actively do anything until I have been made aware of the situation." Cobra answered. "To do so would put Alabasta at risk, and in our weakened state I fear the results. It would also ruin any chance of this story holding up. But, I can give you information. There are better ways to negotiate with the Gorosei and the Nobles. To start with, send a larger group to escort an older more experienced and less threatening delegation. Regardless of your qualifications, you and your friend are not the type the Gorosei are used to dealing with. Have them stall for time, and make sure they secure an audience at the annual Summit of Nobles. If they can get there then I may be able to help them. Regardless, I would be happy to supply you with information in an effort to stave off any sort of war."

"Thank you. I will stay in touch through Toto. He said he was a friend of yours."

Cobra smiled. "Yes, Toto is a very good friend. He has sacrificed more than most for this country, and now his sacrifices will have paid off. Once again I have to thank you for your part in saving my friends, my daughter, and this country. Many more would have died in the fighting had you not intervened the way you did."

"I'm just doing what I think best. My Godfather taught me a lot about the world, and all he wanted to do with his strength was make it a better place. He sacrificed his life for that dream. All I can do is try to live up to that."

"He sounds like a noble man."

Naruto grinned. "Noble might be pushing it. More of a dirty old man who wrote porn for a living. But he had his heart in the right place." Naruto's smile only widened as he pulled out a small stack of books. "If your little bathhouse escapade is anything to go by, you might like his work."

Cobra looked at the small colorful books with skepticism, but accepted the gift nonetheless. He made a showing of opening the cover on one of them, and rifling through its pages. A small trickle of blood leaked from his nose, but his face remained stern. "I take it back. Noble is not a strong enough word, this is the work of gods."

Naruto Laughed "Whatever you say Ero-King."

/\/\/\

"So we band you and Gaara as traitors, and send the "Official delegates" in your place." Kurotsuchi commented. "But who should go? And will they really believe this ruse?"

"Like I mentioned, aside from my formal wear as Kazekage, we did not show anything officially tying us to this council." Gaara answered. "We have to hope that Sengoku will go along with this idea, and that the Gorosei will believe you. Naruto and I will do our part to help your case. Naruto already has the attention of The Marines. It will be easy for us to keep their attention while adding to our information network. Duplicity is our best hope." A round of nods met his statement, but none of the leaders looked too pleased.

"Well, we should not let more than half of our leadership go. We cannot leave our countries undefended in the event of any underhanded attack." Mifune mused. "If an elderly representative will produce better results than I will volunteer to be one of the replacements. My samurai honor guard can accompany us for appearances sake, but who else will go with me?"

"The old hag can go if she drops her henge." Naruto offered, staring at Tsunade with an evil grin plastered across his face. The former Hokage looked like she wanted to argue, but as usual she let Naruto's rude behavior towards her slide. "And what about Old Man Onoki? Could he make the journey?" Naruto asked looking at Kurotsuchi. "Most of the current leaders would remain here and we would have strong experienced voices negotiating for us."

Kurotsuchi thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Grandpa could probably be convinced to go. His back hasn't been giving him much trouble since he gave me the hat. Although his diplomacy is rather heavy handed."

"That's something we need. I don't want these people thinking they can push us over on a whim. And, I'm sending one of mine back with you." A spat, glaring at Naruto. "You already messed this up once, Brat. You won't be going back unsupervised."

"What happened to Naruto and I would have happened regardless of a Kumo shinobi's presence. No one could have prevented the problems we encountered. I would even go as far as saying that additional shinobi would have made our first attempt even less successful." The Kazekage replied venomously. While directed at Naruto, the comment also slighted Gaara. Gaara had gone with Naruto, and he had been the one responsible for the negotiations not Naruto.

"Gaara it's fine. I messed up. Don't worry about it." Naruto said placatingly. "And I could use the extra help. The Grand Line, hell, the world in general, is much bigger than we originally thought." He turned to Look at A. "Who do you plan on sending with me?" Naruto asked, taking the whole thing in stride. "I was going to request a small team anyway."

"Samui will go with you. I trust her to make accurate reports, and I can depend on her to prioritize the mission." A growled.

"Sweet! I won't have to do any paperwork." Naruto cheered, ignoring the fuming expression on A's face. "Gaara are you going to stay here or are you going to go back with me?" Naruto asked.

"I had planned too. As long as Temari and Kankuro have been able to manage Suna appropriately I will go with you. The Marines would get suspicious if I simply disappeared."

Naruto nodded in understanding. He could work with Samui easily enough, but a team would make things much easier. "Kakashi sensei, can I assemble a team from volunteers? I'd say two to three strong hands depending on whether or not Gaara stays." Naruto asked, thinking about a few people whose specialties could come in handy.

"That shouldn't be a problem Naruto, but we still have a few more things to talk about before you can assemble a team of rogue ninjas." Kakashi answered. "It will have to be volunteers. Anyone you take from Konoha will be officially labeled as a missing nin for the duration of your mission. Bingo Book entries will be updated for proof, and we most likely will not be able to assist you in the event of your capture." Kakashi turned to look at the Raikage. "I assume you will do the same for Samui?" He asked. A nodded. "Good. Now, Gaara, you mentioned that this Sengoku seemed open to the idea of Wano helping stabilize the area. What did you discuss with him?"

"As an alternative to letting them build a naval base here, I proposed the idea of offering our services." Gaara answered. "They already work with pirates such as the Shichibukai in a similar manner. Though I would not compare ourselves to them. I do not think that would foster a strong relationship. Still, the Marines could send us contracts, and we could carry them out with our shinobi. With refusal rights of course."

"It would help us earn the money to rebuild and prepare for any future conflicts." Kurotsuchi commented. "But what about contracts from other parties? Would we work exclusively for The Marines, or could we take other contracts as well?"

"We can debate that later." Mei offered. "But first, we need to solve our navigation problem. We can't accurately sail beyond our borders. How are we even supposed to send another group of diplomats?"

"That's what these are for." Naruto answered, withdrawing a sealing scroll from within his coat. He unsealed it, and a small pile of hourglass like objects tumbled across the table. "The labeled ones are called eternal poses, and the unlabeled ones are log poses. Somehow they lock onto the magnetic signature of an island and point in its direction. The eternal poses always point towards the same island while the log poses change as they move from island to island." He explained as he plucked one of the eternal poses from the pile. "This is the one for the marine base G5. It's at the base of the red line and where the diplomats should go to get an escort to Marineford."

Mei picked on up and inspected it closely. "With this many to experiment on, we should be able to figure out how to duplicate them."

"I think we've gone over enough for one day. We should pool our resources to solve the navigation problem, but until it's solved there is not much else we can do. We also have to wait for answers from Gaara and Onoki about their parts in this." Kakashi muttered lazily. "Let's work on what we can for now and meet again once we have a solution to a few of these problems. The only way we can get through this is to work together." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I will have my honor guard prepare for the journey to Marineford. The delegates should leave within two weeks time. I hope that is enough time for you Tsunade." Mifune said looking at the former Hokage. She nodded in acceptance. "And for Onoki to reach a decision." He added looking at Kurotsuchi. The Tsuchikage nodded her understanding and stood to leave.

As the various leaders made their way out of the room, Naruto stepped in front of the Raikage before he could leave. "A, If you're going to send Samui with me, she needs to be in Konoha and ready to leave in one week." A simply grunted in affirmation as continued passed the blond jinchuriki.

"Naruto, come with me to my office so we can talk about who you want for your team." Kakashi said as he walked up to the blond.

"Sure thing Kakashi Sensei. I'll be right up, but first I have a dozen orders of ramen to pick up. I haven't eaten Ichiraku's in over two weeks."

The blond was gone before Kakashi could blink. Some things would never change. With a shrug, he pulled _Icha Icha Violence_ out of his robe, and wandered back towards his office. Naruto would be there soon enough. Maybe he could get his new secretary to read Icha Icha aloud to him in the meantime. After all, his sole requirement for all applicants to the position had been ownership of the signed collector's edition of the entire series.

/\/\/\

"I'm sorry Naruto, I'd love to help you out, but I can't leave the hospital for that long. With Tsunade leaving in two weeks, Shizune and I are going to have our hands full." Sakura said. Naruto had tracked her down at the hospital to ask for her help with the mission.

Naruto sighed and hung his head. "Yeah I understand. Guess that means I'll have to offer the field medic spot to Ino."

"What's wrong with Ino?"

"Do you remember the last time I asked her for help?"

"Oh yeah…."

Naruto had not spent very much time around his fellow blond before the war, but afterwards, Naruto had asked for her help with repairs to the gardens at the Namikaze estate. Ino agreed, promising him everything the Yamanaka flower shop had to offer. She had done so under the condition that Naruto helped her with some shopping. Naruto shivered remembering her exact words. "A girl has the right to update her wardrobe after a war. Everything that was in style a month ago is probably considered an antique by now. I need to make sure I stay on top of the game." It had sounded so innocent at the time. Unfortunately, no one had warned Naruto of the dangers of shopping with Ino. Nor did he have any idea what it actually entailed.

By the end of that day, Ino had somehow fleeced him of every ryo he had on him, and broken his back by throwing boxes and bags into his arms.

Sakura grabbed his arm and started to pull him away from the hospital. "Come on, let's go get some ramen. My treat. That way if you end up broke again your last meal will have been Ichiraku's"

"Thanks. Any advice on how to handle Ino?"

"Dangle the pay in front of her. She hasn't had a mission in a while because Shikamaru has been needed for all these meetings, and she doesn't like working outside of her old team much. Aside from that, just let her have her way."

Naruto's head dropped. "Now I understand why Shikamaru's favorite word is troublesome."

The two arrived at the ramen stand, and sat down on two of the empty seats. "Hey old man! Five Naruto specials!" Naruto ordered as he sat down.

"I said I'd buy you ramen not a feast!" Sakura screeched, as she threw Naruto out into the street. He tumbled a few times and landed face first in the dirt on the other side of the road.

"Fine…. make it three." Naruto grumbled, picking himself up and dusting off his pants.

"And what about you Sakura?" Teuchi asked, stepping up to the counter.

"Just one bowl of miso please." Sakura answered.

"Coming right up you two."

"So who else is going with you?" Sakura asked once Naruto sat back down.

"A is sending Samui with me and Gaara will probably come as well. Other than that I'm not sure. I need someone with field medic experience, so hopefully I can get Ino to agree." Naruto answered. "I would have considered asking Teme if I knew where he was, but Kakashi said no one's seen him recently."

"Yeah, Sasuke probably won't be back for another few months. What about Sai? He's got the right skill set for a mission like this. It's practically what Danzo built him for."

"Kakashi needs him to keep Orochimaru in line. Sai's in charge of the teams tracking and monitoring him. Kiba, Hinata, Shino, and Lee are all working on those teams, so they're out too." Naruto shrugged as their food arrived. "I'll figure it out, but it won't be the same without you there." Naruto smiled at his former teammate. "Thanks for lunch."

"You're welcome. I wish I could go with you, but I have too many responsibilities keeping me here. I'm sure you'll pull it off without me. You've always found a way to come out on top, and I know you'll find it again."

The two of them ate in relative silence. Naruto powered through his three super sized servings, and put his own money down for three more before Sakura had even finished half of her single bowl. She finished just in time for Naruto's second order to arrive. "I have to get back to the hospital Naruto. Good luck getting your team put together." As Sakura stood to leave, a familiar brown haired, scarf wearing, teen barged through the curtain and nearly bowled her over.

"Boss! I knew I'd find you here!" Konohamaru Sarutobi cheered. Grandson to the late Third Hokage, and a rising member of the Sarutobi family, Konohamaru had become Naruto's protege just after the blond had graduated from the academy. Among other skills, konohamaru was the only ninja in the village that could come close to matching the power of Naruto's sexy technique with his own. Though to be fair they were really the only practitioners of that technique.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto cried happily.

"I'll let you two catch up." Sakura smiled. "Just make sure you let me know when you're leaving Naruto."

"Sure thing."

"You leaving for another mission Boss?" Konohamaru asked, as he sat down.

"Yeah I am. Long term scouting mission." Naruto answered as he finished off another bowl of ramen. "What about you. Where are the rest of the Konohamaru Corps?

"Oh Moegi finally made Chuunin so we're being rotated through different teams now. Gotta be able to work with other ninja or something like that." Konohamaru sighed, "I've been stuck working with Izumo and Kotetsu."

"Those guys are lots of fun. They used to help me hide from Iruka all the time. But I bet you're tired of watching the gate, right?" Naruto said. His words perfectly clear despite the long chain of noodles hanging from his mouth.

"Eah, ..ow…..oo….uo...oo...at?" Konohamaru mumbled over his own noodles.

"It's a skill imparted on those who devoutly worship the ramen deities." Naruto answered, smirking through a mouthful of noodles. "Hey, if you're tired of working the gate, join my team. I need volunteers for my scouting mission." Naruto offered. Konohamaru practically jumped to answer, but Naruto held him down. "Before you decide, you need to know that I am going without support. I am renouncing my headband for this one, and anyone who goes with me will be labeled as a missing nin. If something goes wrong, there will be no back up, and I really don't know when or if we will be able to come back."

Konohamaru looked at the serious expression on Naruto's face, and knew his mentor was not joking. "If I want to surpass you and Jiji then I need to get stronger. I'll go, but you have to help me train."

Naruto smiled. "Any time brat."

/\/\/\

(Back on Hannabal Island)

Naruto's clone sat, leaning against the counter in the bar he had chosen to stake out. He and his fellow clones had split up to scour the island while the boss handled some things back home, and he had noticed large numbers of pirates entering this particular bar. It wasn't a large place, so he doubted it could hold all the people he had seen enter, but almost none of them came back out. So, he had investigated. With only a handful of patrons filling in the gloomy room, none of them any of the pirates he had observed earlier, Naruto knew something was up.

"Bartender, can I get some sake?" He asked, getting the attention of the tall, dark haired bartender, who was attending to another customer at the other end of the bar.

"Saucer or bottle?" The man asked gruffly.

"Bottle." Naruto answered, discreetly studying the man. The bartender stood a little over six feet tall with a slightly muscular build. Aside from the practiced movements of his trade, the man did not move with very much confidence or coordination.

"Five hundred." The bartender said, setting the bottle in front of Naruto. The clone handed over a few bills, and watched him go put them in the register. The clone almost felt bad about the fact that the money would disappear when he dispelled, but one bottle of sake would not to put the man out of business. Naruto went to take a swig when he noticed the pronounced metallic rustling of coins in the register. There were too many coins in the register for a currency that relied so much on paper bills. The clone sipped at his booze while he contemplated the reason for all the extra coins. Something was going on here, and judging from the way the bartender kept drifting back towards the man at the other end of the bar, there was a good chance the other man was in on it too.

The door slammed open, and two pirates barged into the bar. "This the place?" One of them spat.

"Yeah, should be." The other grunted. He looked right at the bartender. "Hey you, we're here for the race. We were told to come here to sign up."

"Not sure what you're talking about." The bartender said, idly cleaning a mug. "Would you like something to drink?"

The lead pirate marched up to the bar and slammed a hand down. "No, we want to sign up for the damn race. Now let us into the back." One of the two pirates reached over and grabbed ahold of the bartender's collar. He drug the bartender up and over the bar.

"That's enough from you two." said a gruff voice from the end of the bar. "He said he doesn't know, so piss off and find something else to do." The rattling sound of a barstool being pushed back accompanied the man as he stood up. A cloud of smoke leapt from the man's lips as he stepped into the light. Taller than Naruto by about a foot, with premature grey hair, and a pipe held firmly in his mouth, the man stood with a confidence that bespoke years of experience. He wore Heavy boots, olive green cargo pants, a leather jacket, and had a pistol strapped to his hip. All of which created a rather imposing visage. "Put him down." Naruto noticed the man looked worn down. No so much physically, but his eyes were tired, resigned even. Naurto wondered what exactly had caused the man to end up in such a state.

"Or what?" One of the pirate's replied arrogantly. "You going to beat me with your cane old man? I just had my bounty raised to 10,000,000 Beri. You won't even leave a stain on my shoe."

"Yeah, and my bounty is 5,000,000. You don't stand a chance."

Casually observing from his end of the bar, Naruto knew the wannabe buccaneer was very wrong. He quietly stood and made his way over towards the group. Appearing behind the men without a sound, he tapped the arrogant pirate on the shoulder. "I'll bet a thousand Beri that this "old man" can kick your ass with his eyes closed. And if he doesn't I will."

The pirates jumped in surprise, and fumbled for their pistols. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Naruto threw a roundhouse kick, crushing the 5,000,000 beri pirate into the floor. The wooden floor splintered under the force of the attack. The pirate groaned from the verge of unconsciousness in his own little crater. "And I held back too." Naruto muttered. "Hey Old Man! How much is 5,000,000 Beri?" Naruto asked, turning to watch the old man launch the other pirate into one of the bar's booths. Tumbling through the table, the 10,000,000 Beri pirate slammed into the wall, and collapsed into the ruined furniture with a groan.

"It's more than enough for you to pay for the damages to my bar." The Bartender answered. "Murdock get these two out of here. I'll put the damages on your tab.

"Tch, fine. Come on brat, I'll show you where to turn him in for the reward." Murdock grunted.

Naruto grabbed the pirate he had knocked out and threw him over his shoulder. Murdock led the way out the door and turned back towards the docks. Free of prying ears, the clone decided to try his luck with the old man. "Murdock, I'll give you half my reward if you can give me some information."

"Keep it. What do you want to know?"

"The race these two were talking about, what is it?"

"Once a year, this island hosts an anything goes sailing race for pirates. The Dead End Race. It's not for another three weeks, but the contestants are starting to show up. They like to get here nice an early to drink, gamble, and whore their way to the starting line. If you give our friend Victor, the bartender, two, one hundred beri, coins, he will show you where to go."

"Sounds fun, but I'd probably need a ship if I wanted to compete. Any idea where I might find one or who might build one for me? The whole reason I came here was to find a ship." The clone noticed Murdock stiffen slightly when he asked the question.

"All the shipwrights have left for Water Seven. The once a year pirate business wasn't enough to keep the small company here in business. Sorry brat, you're out of luck."

A set of heavy footsteps interrupted their conversation. Naruto looked down the road to see a an overly muscular man in an ornate marine jacket. Both the jacket and the brown shirt underneath were open, exposing the man's chest. A jeweled belt held up black pants, which tapered into the man's steel covered boots. The clone heard a snapping noise next to him, and saw Murdock's pipe fall to the ground, stem bitten in half. "Gasparde."

"Walter, it's been awhile." Gasparde grumbled, stopping in front of the two.

"Not long enough." Murdock spat. "You're not welcome here."

"That's where you're wrong. I left The Marines so I could do whatever I wanted. No one has and no one will stop me. It's great." Gasparde seemed to chew on his words before spitting them out. "You should try something fun for a change. In fact, I could use someone with your talents on my crew. Join me."

"Not a chance in hell." Murdock drew his pistol in a blindingly fast motion, and fired three times.

"You've gotten rusty." Gaspard said calmly. "I remember you being faster." The bullet holes smoked for a moment, but they quickly turned a sickly green and oozed shut. "Not that it matters. Silly weapons like that no longer work on me."

"You ate one of those accursed fruits. That's just like you. Always grabbing for more power."

"Not everyone gets taken in by a Vice Admiral like you did. Garp handed everything to you on a silver platter, but you threw it away all those years ago for some worthless criminals."

"And you slaughtered innocent people for a measly promotion."

"Rahahahaha, and I would do it again. It was fun. If you won't join, fine, but stay out of my way or I will kill you." Gasparde stepped forward to leave. "Just know that you're only alive because of my mercy."

The Clone couldn't take it anymore. Dropping his bounty Naruto stepped up to Gasparde. "You're scum."

"What did you say?"

"You're scum. Anyone who abandons their mission is trash, and anyone who abandons their friends is worse than trash. You've done both. You're worse than trash. You're scum."

"Rahahaha, another silly idealist. Are you training them now Murdock? He'll die just like the rest of you, on the boot of someone less scrupulous. There are no friends in this world. There are only those who rule, and there are those who are ruled. Power is all that matters." Gasparde cackled. "Now get out of my way."

The clone considered attacking the man right there, but it wasn't the right time. Stepping to the side, he let the traitorous marine stroll passed. Once Gasparde was gone, Naruto turned to look at Murdock. "You know Garp?"

"I did, but that was a long time ago. A whole different life." Murdock sighed. Then, he looked at Naruto appraisingly. A hint of life glimmered in the back of his worn eyes. "Do you have the money to pay for that ship you were asking about? Because 15,000,000 Beri isn't going to be enough for me to build you one."

"You can build me a ship?"

"Before I was kicked out of The Marines, I worked as one of their shipboard engineers." Murdock grunted. "It's what I did for a living."

"What changed your mind?"

"I'm not playing twenty questions with you brat. Do you want a ship or not? I may no longer be a Marine, but I don't make a habit of helping pirates."

"I guess it's a good thing that I'm not a Pirate." Naruto interrupted. "Just a vagabond with a sense of adventure."

"Sounds like a pirate to me." Murdock grunted. "Do you have the money? Cause if you want a capable ship before that damn race, you better have a deep pocket."

/\/\/\

A surge of information hit Naruto as he approached the Yamanaka Flower Shop. One of his clones had made some progress on getting a ship. It seemed now all he needed to do was come up with the supplies. With a flare of chakra, he created a single shadow clone. "Go see Yamato sensei about the wood, and the ANBU quartermaster should have ropes and cloth for the rigging, sails and other dodads."

"You got it boss!"

"Naruto!" Ino cheered as he walked up to the flower shop. "I thought I just saw you run by. Guess that was a clone then?"

"Yep. I sent him off to get a few things. Just back for a few days before I set off for another mission." Naruto leaned up against the counter. "What about you? How's the shop doing."

Ino pouted, "Another mission!? No fair! Why do you keep getting them? Shikamaru and Choji have been so busy here that Team 10 hasn't had one in over a month."

Naruto laughed. "Getting thrown on every mission isn't always fun Ino, but I could see how sitting around here might be worse. It's actually why I'm mission I was just on is directly responsible for Shikamaru being busy, and this next one will keep him tied up too. I'm putting together a team, and I need someone with medical experience. Would you be interested in a long term scouting mission?" He asked, careful not to mention that he had asked Sakura first.

"Shouldn't you ask Sakura, she's your teammate."

"I would, but she can't leave because of the hospital. Obaa chan is going to be out of the village for this one too, so Sakura is stuck here with Shizune."

"Wow, Tsunade is going out on a mission again. Must be serious. Hmm, how long is long term?"

"I'm not sure, but it gets S rank pay." Naruto offered, watching the girl's eyes light up at the mention of money. "Just a warning, It does require us to be labeled as missing nin for its duration. No backup, just us."

"What! No way." Ino huffed. "That's social suicide." Despite her successful efforts to kill her image as a fangirl, Ino still valued her social position within the village.

"Ino, I doubt Kakashi will broadcast it to the village. It's more like the standard procedure with an ANBU mission. We can't carry any distinguishing marks and if we're caught for some reason they will claim we went rogue."

"Hmm... I don't know."

"Please Ino, I would owe you."

Ino's eye's glinted with victory. "Fine, but I want all my mission expenses covered, and half your pay."

Naruto slumped, unable to calculate the massive drain Ino's "Mission expenses" would cause on his bank accounts. With a sigh reminiscent of the blond kunoichi's teammate, Naruto muttered, "I hate you Ino." He knew he had been played, but there wasn't much else he could do.

Ino leaned towards him, with a smile plastered across her face she reached out and cupped his cheek. She added a flirty wink for good measure. "You don't have a hateful bone in your body Naruto, so cheer up. It's going to be fun."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Ino's hair may have gotten longer, and she may have changed her outfit, but the blond girl from Naruto's academy class would never change. "Be ready to go in about a week. You'll have a small room to yourself so you don't have to pack too lightly."

"A room?" Ino asked, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Yeah, we're going to be living on a ship for the most part. That going to be a problem?"

"Will it have a closet?" She asked, her tone deadly serious.

Naruto shrugged, "I guess."

"Good. Now shoo." She waved her hand dismissively. "I need to pack."

Naruto looked at her with a puzzled expression, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble to ask any more questions. He had his field medic, and that was the important part. The team was shaping up. He had Samui, a kenjutsu specialist and a lightning user, he had Konohamaru, a strong generalist who had plenty of room to grow, he had Gaara, a powerhouse as always, and now he had Ino with her clan techniques. Between the five of them, they could cover just about every aspect of shinobi warfare. Even better was the fact that he had worked with all of them in the past. Most of them had even worked together at some point during the war. With any luck they would make a name for themselves.

/\/\/\

 **AN:**

 **Well, this is the last of the chapters I had wrapped up before I published this thing. I had some trouble with this monster of a chapter when I wrote it. Even now, I feel like it's missing something, but After a number of revisions, I think I've got it to a place where I'm happy with it. This chapter sets up a lot to come so I hope it all makes sense. If you've got the time, please leave a review. I would love some feedback.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Anton**


	5. A New Ship in the Pirate Race

**AN: I'm really stoked with everyone's responses so far. I'm glad so many of you like where I am going with this, and I've gotten some really good feedback. Here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 5: A New Ship In The Pirate Race

Laskey sighed as he kicked the dirt in Alubarna. When reports had come in from Alabasta, he knew he had to see the scene for himself. Another agent dead at the hands of these shinobi, and they were none the worse for wear. Zenon had not been among the most skilled of his men, but he had still been CP-9. His defeat reflected poorly on Laskey. As deputy director of Cipher Pol, he recruited and trained all combat agents. Many never reached his standards and they were shuffled off to other divisions. Left to oversee operations that required some modicum of skill, but nothing too taxing. Those that did have the skills required, he placed into CP-9. Working as individuals or in small teams, they did what the Marines could not, and in many cases would not do, for the sake of Justice.

Looking through the remains of the battle between Zenon and Uzumaki, Laskey had to wonder, just who he was up against. Somehow Uzumaki had liquified the ground, something he had not shown the ability to do in his short bout against Garp. The buildings that lined the battlefield were half buried in muck, mud having flowed out from what looked like a central point, and Zenon's body which had been partially buried looked like it had been dipped in some sort of acid. Skin had sloughed off his skeleton in mis sized patches, his clothes had been eaten through, and if the expression of agony frozen on his face was anything to go by, it had been an incredibly painful process.

The Higher-Ups were not going to be happy when he turned in his report. Between the skill Uzumaki had shown, and the reports of Sabaku No Gaara utilizing sand in a way that only Crocodile should have been able to, this duo posed a serious threat to world stability. Knowing he would be chewed out for his failures, Laskey started formulating a plan to bring these two in. Considering that the top team in CP-9 was currently on assignment, he would have to get involved personally. Years had passed since he last worked in the field. He knew he had developed a little rust, no longer facing life or situations on a regular basis, but Laskey knew he was no slouch. Still perhaps a new team was in order. One that would not go down so easily.

/\/\/\

"As Hokage I should probably say something official sounding, explaining how Konoha will not provide you assistance should you be captured, blah, blah, blah," Kakashi muttered lazily, "But I've known all three of you personally for far too long to do that. Instead I'll simply tell you to be safe. While each of you is stronger than I could ever hope to be, the outside world is much bigger than we thought. Approach everything as a team, and trust each other with your lives." Kakashi looked to Konohamaru, Ino, and Naruto in turn, and held out his hand towards Konohamaru. "Could I have the honor?"

The young Sarutobi Clan member nodded, and removed his headband. When he handed it over to Kakashi, the silver haired man, drew a kunai, and put a single slash through the leaf symbol on the headband. Ino pulled her forehead protector off her hip and handed it to Kakashi as soon as the Hokage returned Konohamaru's. Kakashi repeated the action for Ino before looking to Naruto. "Are you sure about this Naruto?" Kakashi asked, hesitation clear in his voice.

Naruto looked down at Jiraiya's forehead protector. Konan had recovered the headband for him and arranged for its delivery just before her death. While it held sentimental value for Naruto, Jiraiya's drive to help the world was the most important thing to remember. This mission was more important than a forehead protector, more important than any memory he might have had of Jiraiya. Without any hesitation he nodded, "Yeah, he would have done it."

Kakashi took the metal plated cloth, and put one slash through the symbol of the Toad Sage.

Konohamaru, and Naruto put their protectors back on their foreheads. Ino slung hers diagonally across her hips. Officially bearing the mark of missing-nin, the three Konoha representatives turned to look at everyone that had gathered to see them off. The remaining members of the Konoha Eleven stood alongside, Udon, Moegi, Guy, Kurenai, and Iruka. Team Samui had arrived alongside the Raikage, and Gaara approached with his two siblings in tow.

"Alright we're all set." Naruto smiled. "Any last words?"

"DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT YOU MORON!" Sakura shouted.

"But everyone was being so serious." Naruto whined.

Sakura rubbed her forehead in frustration. Looking at Ino she said. "Don't let this idiot get you killed." In a slightly softer tone she said, "And take care of him, would ya."

Ino smiled, "Don't worry Forehead, I'll have them all under my thumb in no time."

"Hey, I'm in charge of this mission." Naruto protested

"Oh really, Mr. I'm still a Genin." Ino shot back.

Naruto stood tall, trying to look important, and said, "Toad Sage privileges, so suck it."

"Naruto, stop making me look bad. I vouched for your leadership" Kakashi sighed.

"Alright, alright," Naruto turned to his team, "Anyone that has any doubts, this is your last chance to back out." Ino, Konohamaru, Gaara, and Samui all stepped towards Naruto.

Konohamaru smirked, "Not a chance Boss."

Naruto grinned. "Good."

" _Kurama, can I get some help with this one?"_ Power flooded Naruto's system, and the glowing, ethereal, orange cloak of Kurama's chakra surrounded the blond. Naruto created six clones that glowed with the fox's power, and formed up into a triangle. "Everyone into the center." He ordered.

The sight of him tapping into Kurama's power seemed to create some unease in those gathered. "Why are you using Kurama's chakra Naruto?" Ino asked, as she stepped into the center of the formation Naruto and his clones had formed.

"Because, mine is barely enough to get me there, let alone all five of us." He answered. A handful of surprised gasps erupted from the spectators, muttering things like "How far away are they going?"

"What if he uses too much chakra and they end up on the moon and destroy it in their attempt to get back, and get stuck endlessly floating through space?" Omoi commented.

Karui cracked her teammate over the head with her sheathed blade. "Not now Omoi."

Naruto looked at the Kumo ninja, and wondered if that was what he and Sakura looked like when they had one of their disagreements."Right, well, we're off." Naruto said. "We'll be in touch."

The group disappeared in a flash of red and orange. A wisp of blowing dust, and a small patch of scorched earth the only signs of their former presence.

/\/\/\

With a blurred flash of red, and the distinct smell of burnt ozone, Naruto and his team reappeared in a dark, back alley of Hannabal Island. Naruto coughed breathlessly as the technique subsided. "Five people…. was a lot harder than two. Going to have to find a way around that."

Ino, could tell Naruto had strained his chakra system. While she knew he would be back up and running quickly enough, she could help out. Digging into her supplies, she pulled out a soldier pill. "Here Naruto, eat this." She ordered, gently pushing the pill towards the Toad Sage.

Naruto snatched it from her palm and swallowed the little red pill. "Oh that's better." Naruto stretched, the newfound energy coursing through his body. "I guess I should have pulled more power from Kurama transporting this many people is hard. Thanks for the save Ino."

"It's what I'm here for."

Naruto nodded at her, and turned to face everyone. "Right, well, welcome to the Grand Line. Or, I guess I should say, the other half of it." Naruto tossed each of them a scroll. "The World Government doesn't recognize the Ryo, so each of these has about 10,000 Beri in them for you." Naruto noticed the gleam in Ino's eye, and quickly halted any shopping fantasies that may have been playing in her mind. "But, it's all we've got for right now, so don't waste it."

Konohamaru looked at the scroll with a stunned expression, "Where'd you get this much Boss?"

Naruto smiled at the younger ninja, "I found a chip on the ground in a casino, went to the roulette table, and bet it on double zero on a whim. It payed out thirty five to one."

"That's awesome!"

"Unbelievable." Ino muttered. "Absolutely unbelievable... Where's that kind of luck when I need it."

"Naruto, what happened to the gold I took from Baroque works?" Gaara asked.

"Used it to pay for the ship." Naruto answered. "Murdock said he'd have it finished in time for the race."

"Race?" Everyone asked, looking at Naruto like he was disturbed.

"Yeah, this island is the sight of a yearly anything goes pirate race." Naruto explained. "It sounded like fun, so I figured we would enter. Hopefully we can adjust as a team and get a feeling for this whole sailing thing."

"What about the mission?" Ino asked, "Aren't we supposed to be doing reconnaissance?

"Yeah, but this place is so big, that I have no clue where to start." Naruto admitted. "Besides, we're supposed to be rogue ninja. So, we can do whatever we want, and I want to do this." The rest of the team sank in despair. Only now were they truly realizing what they had gotten into.

"Not cool." Samui muttered.

"And he wonders why I stabbed him." Gaara grunted.

"I want a bigger paycheck." Ino groaned

Even Konohamaru's unfaltering confidence in Naruto seemed at its breaking point. "Boss…?"

"Jeez, what part of fun do you guys not understand." Naruto sighed. "We have to learn how to work as a team and how to sail a ship. It's the best way to get around out here. Now come on, I'll take you to the ship." Jumping up to the top of the nearest building, Naruto set off towards the docks without waiting for a response.

"If the ship is orange, I will kill him." Ino announced, as she and the others leapt after Naruto.

The short sprint to the harbor took the group less than a minute. Passing silently across the roofs of the city, they went unnoticed by the rowdy pirates that filled the streets below. The chaos, and lawlessness being flaunted, was an odd sight for the ninja. They had all started their careers dealing with petty bandits, outlaws, and thieves. None of the elemental nations allowed scoundrels like this time to establish themselves. And, now they were supposed to fit into that world. The ability to adapt to any mission was a crucial skill for any shinobi, but that did not mean it happened instantaneously.

When they landed at the docks, and caught up to Naruto, the four members of Team Uzumaki were stunned by what they saw. Floating against the dock, was a two hundred foot long, fifty foot wide, wooden behemoth. It's four masts seemed to scrape the sky, each one draped with an impressive triangle of black canvas. Thousands of feet of rope ran through the sails, through various pulleys, around the masts, and down to the expansive deck. Stuck between bases of the central masts, a long squat cabin with evenly spaced windows rose up from the deck. Painted a midnight blue and trimmed with a black that matched the sails, it looked rather menacing. Despite is lack of obvious weaponry, the sleek ship looked like a predator on the water.

"So what do you think?" Naruto asked. "Pretty sweet right?"

Before any of them could offer their opinion, and incensed voice shouted at them from within the ship. "Uzumaki! that you?!"

"Yeah it's me Murdock. The ship looks great." Naruto answered.

The door on the cabin opened a second later and the grizzled shipwright emerged with an unpleasant scowl on his face. Jumping down to the dock, he thrust a piece of paper in the blond's face. "Explain this, and give me one damn good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass and collect on this."

Naruto looked at the piece of paper. It was a wanted poster. More specifically, it was a wanted poster of an extremely feral looking Naruto. The slit pupils, the sharpened canines, and the blood red aura that came from using Kurama's chakra, had all been captured in his mugshot. No doubt the photo had been taken when he assaulted Captain Hina and her crew. It all came together to portray a positively demonic image, which was suiting considering the epithet the Marines had given him. "The Demon Fox, Naruto Uzumaki, wanted dead or alive 65,000,000 Beri." Naruto read aloud. "Well it's not much of a bounty compared to my bingo book entry, but hey, at least they got a cool picture." Naruto added with a shrug.

"I wonder if they made one for you Gaara?" Naruto snatched the remaining wanted posters from the older man's hands. He rifled through the small stack, until he found one featuring Gaara's visage. The Kazekage's poster featured his traditionally stoic expression and cold heartless eyes. To any who did not know him, the image would have been rather intimidating. "Sand Demon? Wanted alive 75,000,000 Beri!? Why is your reward so much more than mine!? I'm way more badass than you! And why are you wanted alive?"

Murdock growled, "Uzumaki, don't ignore me. Impersonation of a foreign delegate, inciting rebellion in a nation of the World Government, murder, and destruction of government property, are only half of the charges against you. You never claimed to be sunshine and daisies but this is more than I can tolerate. "

"Calm down Murdock." Naruto said, in an oddly serious tone. "I have not and will not kill any Marines without good reason. I roughed up a Marine Captain in Alabasta and disabled another's ship when I left after the rebellion. All to give people, who deserved it, a chance to get away. As for the rebellion itself, I helped Princess Vivi end the rebellion which was started by the Shichibukai Crocodile."

"So they're using you to prevent a scandal." Murdock mused, the edge to his voice lessening significantly. "Fucking higher ups always did love their image too much to admit when they lost control of one of their rabid dogs."

"That, and three Cipher Pol agents are dead because of us." Gaara offered calmly.

Murdock grinned. "Even better. Those slimy bastards can rot in hell. Representatives of justice my ass. I take back what I said."

"That's good, cause I'd hate to have to kick your ass after you built me a ship. Now give us a tour." Naruto retorted.

"Che, damn ungrateful brat." Murdock grumbled "Fine, all of you, follow me." He said, marching his way up the gangplank.

/\/\/\

"So what are we doing again?" Ino asked, the barest hint of a whine in her voice. Naruto had drug her away from her new closet, which in reality was just a spare room next to her own. Behind them, Konohamaru bounced with energy as he took in the chaos of the pirate town.

"Well, we need to sign up for the race." Naruto said.

"I get that, but why are we going with you?"

"Gaara was going to hurt me if I tried to drag him back up here, and Samui was busy writing a report for the Raikage. So that leaves you two to come with me." Naruto answered with a shrug.

"But couldn't you just do this by yourself?"

"I could, but people will say different things around you then they will me. The same goes for Konohamaru. That, and I've already been through here a few times. I want different eyes on this. Any information could help us, so when we get inside, explore a bit and see if anything important pops up."

Ino huffed. "Fine."

Naruto led them into the nameless bar where he had met Murdock. As usual it was sparsely populated. Nodding to Victor, the bartender, as they walked by, Naruto went straight for the door in the back. Whipping out a set of keys, Naruto unlocked the door and let his two companions into the dark hallway beyond. Befriending Murdock and in turn Victor had had its benefits. He didn't bother with lighting a torch, Ino and Konohamaru would not need the extra light. Naruto led them down the damp corridor and stopped in front of the heavy set guard standing at the other end. "Evening Bob. Mind letting us through?" With a curt nod, the man stepped to the side, and opened the door for them. Light blinded them and noise assaulted their ears from beyond the door. Stepping through, they saw the massive cavern. At least a dozen stories high, the cavern hosted thousands of pirates. Various flags hung from the balconies of the different levels, portraying the winners of previous years races. A rotating chain spanned from the floor to the ceiling acting as the impromptu elevator for the multi tiered space.

"Woa…. This place is awesome!" Konohamaru cheered.

"Go explore a bit, talk to others, you can even pick a fight or two if you want." Naruto offered. "We're pirates now, so you may as well get used to the pirate life."

"You got it boss." Konohamaru leapt out onto the descending chain, and rode it down and out of sight.

Naruto turned to look at Ino. "You can explore too you know. All I'm doing is going to see the bookie about signing up and placing a bet on us."

"I could, but that would mean dealing directly with these scumbags." Ino replied. She was getting a lot of attention with her low riding skirt and the high cut top that left almost the entirety of her stomach exposed to the world. Pirates whistled and eyed her up like a piece of meat. "I think I'll let you scare them away and observe from here."

"You know if you didn't wear such revealing clothes this wouldn't be as much of a problem." Naruto said, leveling a bone rattling glare on a nearby pirate that had invited Ino to be part of a 'real crew.'

"A girl has a right to look good."

"Troublesome..."

Crack!

With a solid hit to the skull, Ino planted Naruto into the floor. Het foot found its way onto his cheek as she ground her heel into his face. "Naruto, if you so much as think the word troublesome again, I will show you why I put the fear of god into Shikamaru."

"Why does it always hurt so much to be hit by kunoichi?" Naruto whined

"Because nothing would ever get done if it didn't." Ino huffed. "Now get up. Let's get this over with."

Naruto rubbed at the lump forming on his head as they resumed their trek towards the bookie, but knew better than to actually complain.

Perched on a large intricate chair, with a skinny blond woman draped over him and a smug look plastered across his face, the heavy set man sat like a king at the center of the balcony. "You entering the race, or betting?" The man asked.

"Both." Naruto answered, tossing the man the two hundred beri entry fee.

With a groan of effort, the man reached towards the table behind him, and produced an eternal pose. "Brave of you to join this year with such heavy competition. I'll need the name of your crew, and a copy of your flag for references sake. If by some miracle you beat Gasparde, it will be hung up here with the previous winners' flags."

Naruto nearly spat at the man when he mentioned Gasparde, but it wasn't worth the trouble. "Hmm, we don't have a name yet or a flag."

"Fwahahaha! and you call yourself a pirate." The bookie laughed. "Do you even have a bounty brat? You may as well just hand me your money now."

Naruto ignored the man, and contemplated a name for their team. While something awesome like the Uzumaki Death Squad, or The Super Toad Pirates would be his first choice, Naruto did not think his team would be so appreciative of those names. Team Uzumaki was too plain. He'd have to maim himself to use it, that and he wasn't so full of himself that he wanted a team named after him. So the only thing left to do was to stroke Kurama's ego. "Put us down as the Shadow Fox Pirates. I'll get you a flag before the race."

"And what are you betting on yourselves? Or will you be smart and bet on Gasparde?" The bookie grinned greedily.

"10,000 Beri." Naruto answered, pulling out the contents of his wallet and tossing it to the man.

"Che, as a wet behind the ears runt without a bounty, no flag, and no crew, odds on you are about forty to one."

"I'll take my chances. Put it all on us to take the whole thing." Who was he to tell the man that he did have a sizeable bounty, and a crew of kickass yet to be known shinobi.

/\/\/\

Down at the bottom of the cavern, Konohamaru silently observed the rough crowd that had gathered for the race. Two massive humans, easily the size of an Akimichi using the full extent of their multi size technique, battled each other in a drinking competition that had soaked the ground around them in spilt alcohol. Elsewhere people huddled around tables, playing cards, or throwing dice. Everywhere he turned a different vice was on display. He even saw some prostitutes dragging men with heavy pockets off to other rooms. He had considered joining in on a dice game, but thought better of it after watching a few rounds. The dealer had two sets of dice, and was using the loaded set to make sure he won on the bigger rounds. In his efforts to look around, Konohamaru lost track of where his feet were taking him, and accidentally bumped into a pink haired man, and nearly knocked him over.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Konohamaru said, holding his arms up appeasingly.

"Watch it brat. You know who's crew I'm on?" The man spat, as he drew his pistol. Eyeing Konohamaru's wiry frame, he grinned confidently. "Gasparde's. A little shit like you should be groveling for my forgiveness." The man paused for a moment, but when Konohamaru didn't move, he shrugged. "Too late." He said, and pulled the trigger.

Konohamaru moved his head ever so slightly and let the bullet go whizzing by. "I said sorry, and you shot at me!?" With a menacing glee, the young Sarutobi cracked his neck. "The boss did say I could pick a fight. Which one of you wants his ass handed to him first?" Konohamaru asked looking at the group pirates forming up behind the pink haired man.

The pink haired man scoffed. "So the little brat thinks he can play does he? You're lucky I missed you little shit stain. Let's get him boys. Show him what happens to the people that cross Gasparde."

The dozen or so men charged forward with drawn swords and fired their pistols. Konohamaru drew a kunai and weaved through the hail of lead, meeting the charge head on. Catching the pink haired man's sword with the short blade, Konohamaru ignored the shocked look on the pirate's face. He spun off his left foot and brought his right leg around into a crushing blow. His foot caught the pirate full in the face. The blow sent him and four of his crew members tumbling through some nearby tables. Grinning victoriously, Konohamaru looked at the remaining crew members. "So who's next?"

"Me." A man in a yellow jacket and black pants stepped towards him. The word sick and a hook were emblazoned upon the breast of the jacket. A black hat obscured most of his face. He stood with a confidence Konohamaru had yet to see from any of these pirates.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the man who's meal you just ruined."

"That's Shuraiya Bascùd, The Pirate Executioner." One of Gasparde's men muttered, but before anyone could move, the pink haired instigator came crashing out of the table remains that had trapped him.

"I don't care who they are. Kill them both!" He shouted, spawning a lopsided free for all.

Konohamaru ducked under a sword, rolled past a volley of bullets, and caught a kick from the Pirate Executioner. He threw a lazy kick at the man to earn himself some room, and leapt up into the air. Flipping over the pirates, Konohamaru tossed two handfuls of shuriken into their midst. The small spinning blades mercilessly cut down the charging thugs. Bascùd did not give him any time to gloat. Konohamaru was forced to duck when as the bounty hunter threw a handful of dinner plates at him. Rising to meet the man, Konohamaru lashed out with his fists. Bascùd blocked the punches with his forearms

"Not bad kid. You're stronger than you look." He grunted

Konohamaru caught the man's rising knee and smirked, "Not too bad yourself." Separating, the two combatants launched into a dance of kicks, punches, elbows, knees, and flips. Unfortunately for Gasparde's men, this whirlwind of attacks absorbed any nearby bystanders. They had barely finished removing the shuriken from their bodies, when they were forcefully drug back into the fight. A brawl once more, they carved a swath of destruction through the cavern, as they moved towards its center. Konohamaru leapt up onto the revolving chain. Sticking to it with his chakra, he hung upside down and used a kunai to parry sword thrusts from the chasing pirates. Bascùd and about six of Gasparde's crew managed to grab onto the chain lower down. The tried to climb up to Konohamaru, but he just scrambled up the chain to stay out of arm's reach. Near the top, Konohamaru jumped into the large rowboat that hung from the ceiling.

"Heh, nowhere left for you to run and hide. Now take your punishment like a man." The pink haired man called out as he and his crewmates jumped into the boat. The group creeped forwards. Bloodthirsty grins plastered on their faces, and weapons at the ready.

"I would, but it looks like he has a better idea." Konohamaru pointed behind them. The pirates turned around just in time to see Bascùd kick one of the oars that decorated the handing boat. The wooden implement caught all but the pink haired pirate in the chest, and sent them careening off the side.

"Che, I hope at least one of them had a decent bounty." Bascùd muttered as he stepped down into the boat.

"Why aren't you two afraid of us?" The pink haired man stammered. "Gasparde will kill you for this."

"Who's Gasparde?" Konohamaru asked. "You keep mentioning him like he's some big shot. Besides you're the one that picked a fight with me not him." Konohamaru took a step towards the man.

"Stay back." The pink haired man whimpered, erratically swinging his sword.

"Watch where you're swinging that. You're going to cut one of the supports." Bascùd chidded. Unfortunately Basùd's warning caused the jumpy sailor to spin to face him. The pirate's sword caught on the ropes and cut through several during the uncoordinated half the boat unsupported, the three combatants tumbled into the air as the boat tipped onto its side. Konohamaru and Bascùd kicked off the boat, nimbly righted themselves, and landed on the nearest balcony. Amazingly, the pink haired pirate flailed his way to the balcony as well, landing face first with a pitiful groan.

"So you wanna keep going?" Konohamaru asked looking at Bascùd.

"I suppose." The bounty hunter answered.

The pirate jumped back to his feet, and brandished his sword. "Hey you two can't just ignore me. I'm not done yet. I'll kill both of you."

The clink of an empty glass bottle drew everyone's attention to the large man who sat a ways back from the edge of a balcony. Standing beside him a tall pale man with a tattoo of crossed sabers etched upon his face looked on impassively. "You're all obnoxious." Spat the large man.

"Captain… I.. I.. thought you were drinking on the ship." The pink haired man stuttered. "Ca.. ca.. can I get something for you sir?"

"Who are you?" Gasparde asked.

"I'm on your crew…."

"If you were on my crew you would not have lost that fight. Needles, remove the trash."

The pale man at Gasparde's side sprinted forwards. Covering the short distance in a flash, he appeared beside the whimpering pirate with a long three bladed cat claw at the ready. He swung the weapon with all his might. The three deadly blades descending on the discarded crewmember with lethal force.

The pure tone of steel on steel rang out across the balcony as Konohamaru appeared between Needles and his prey. Konohamaru's arm quivered ever so slightly as he fought to stop Needless' attack. "So you're Gasparde." Konohamaru said, looking at the captain.

"Why did you save him? His weakness earned him his fate. Leave him to die and come join me." Gasparde grunted. "You and the bounty hunter stand out amongst the rest of this trash. Your power would be put to much better use under me."

Bascùd shrugged indifferent to the offer, but Konohamaru glared at the traitorous Marine. "Thanks, but I'll pass. There's more to strength than being able to kick someone's ass. "

"I should kill you for dismissing my offer."

"You're welcome to try, Asshole."

A set of soft thumps signaled new arrivals. Konohamaru saw the familiar blond hair of Naruto and Ino out of the corner of his eye.

"Kono, that's enough for tonight. We're heading back to the ship" Naruto said. His tone oddly serious.

Konohamaru "But Boss, I was going to wipe the floor with these guys."

"Not tonight. You'll have your chance to fight them another day. For now we let him go."

Konohamaru backed away from Needless and the downed nameless pirate.

"Rah" Gasparde chuckled. "You were smart to pull off your rabid cabin boy brat. He's better than most of the riffraff here, but I would not hesitated to turn him into red paste. You're nothing but a bunch of loud mouth upstarts. I should kill you all just to spare you the pain of the real world."

Naruto's eyes flashed red. "I told you. You're scum. I won't let my team dirty themselves dealing with the likes of you. If you threaten my friends again. They won't find more than mere scraps of your corpse."

Gasparde's eyes narrowed calculatingly, but he offered no reply.

/\/\/\

Gaara stood over Murdock as the engineer checked over the small details one last time. The man had worked tirelessly on the vessel. "So there's no chance we can convince you to join us? We could use your skill set."

"Naruto already tried. Even bribed me with an endless supply of tobacco from your homeland. Good stuff, but I've already had my time on these seas. Besides, I'm still a Marine at heart . I don't think I could ever turn my back on that." The older man answered. "Still I can see that you're a good bunch. That's why I agreed to help in my own way. You may not have the biggest, or the most powerful ship on the grand line, but you'll be the quickest."

"A strong swift strike is a shinobi's second best friend." Gaara offered.

"And the first?" Murdoch asked, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

"Surprise." Gaara answered flatly.

Murdoch chuckled. "Now I know why Naruto is the one in charge. That boy is a walking surprise."

"Yes he is. Naruto is a fool, somewhat idiotic, and he is unpredictable at the best of times. But beyond that, he is a man of conviction. He will do anything for his friends, and he always fights to right the wrongs of the world. There are few people who I respect as much as him, if any."

Murdock looked at Gaara inquisitively. "You speak very highly of him."

"I owe him my life many times over, and so do the rest of us." Gaara answered. "Naruto rallied entire nations to stand behind him and fight. He was instrumental in doing what many thought impossible and he fought off the single greatest threat our nation ever faced."

Murdock sighed. "Sounds like a good story. Reminds me of why I joined up in the first place. Those days are long gone though. After we brought Roger in, the Marines changed. They changed for the worse. They grew overconfident, corrupt, and single minded. The justice of today is a far cry from what it used to be. And Roger wasn't even much of a Pirate. His crew never caused the chaos everyone seems to think they did. They had their own code, and they sailed to it and nothing else."

"That may be, but if you do not do anything to right those wrongs yourself, you have no room to complain."

Murdock blew out a huge cloud of smoke. "You're right. But as I said, my fighting days are over. I get rid of the riff raff that comes through, but I just don't have it in me to do much more than that." He looked at the red head questioningly. "Do you know why your bounty is so much higher than Naruto's? Why they want you alive?"

"Because they want to know how I can control sand. To their knowledge, Crocodile should be the only person with that ability. I do not fit into any of their equations. They want to know how and why I can."

Murdock tied off the rope he had been working with and stood. "Be careful. If they do capture you, it won't be a pleasant experience. They won't care that you're a reasonable person. They will just turn you over to Vegapunk and let him turn you into a lab rat."

"I've been captured once before in my life. It actually killed me. Naruto and an elder from my village revived me at the cost of her life. Her sacrifice is not something I would give up so easily."

Murdock nodded before gestured vaguely at the ship. "Anyway, this is my way of helping out. I think Naruto and you will be good for this world. Don't prove me wrong. The Midnight's Shadow is ready to sail." The surly man dusted off his hands and walked off the ship.

Samui landed beside Gaara with a soft thump. The Kumo jonin held a number of scrolls in her arms. "I found a merchant with maps and knowledge of the area. If he is to be believed, there are several noteworthy islands nearby under different spheres of influence. One of them, Navarone, houses a marine garrison."

Gaara nodded appreciatively. "For now I think it best we avoid stirring up any more trouble. With any luck this race Naruto has entered us into will lead us away from the Marines."

"I will study the maps and create a list of nearby destinations for you and Naruto." Samui offered. She disappeared down into hull of the ship without another word. This left Gaara alone to think about the mess they were all in. Samui's presence did alleviate some of his concerns. The Kumo kunoichi was nothing if not professional. Her presence would help offset the exuberance and childishness that Gaara had come to expect from Naruto and his protege.

/\/\/\

Mourdock wandered the streets of Hannabal island. He had no desire to return to Victor's and deal with all the drunken pirates who had signed up for the race. He could have gone home, but sleep wasn't calling to him either. So, he just allowed his feet to carry him through the familiar streets of the island he called home. He sucked on his pipe and mulled over everything that had happened in the last few weeks. How much things had changed when Naruto had shown up. The damn brat had brought out memories he thought long gone, rekindled a spark longe since extinguished. Maybe he could move on, and do something worthwhile with the remainder of his life.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up when Murdock heard the familiar sound of metal plated boots on the stone behind him. "I told you no last time you were here. You expect a different answer this time or have you come to kill me?" Murdock turned to face Gasparde, and froze when he saw the former Marine holding a struggling young child in one of his hands. The kid was dirty, beaten, bruised, and looked utterly terrified. Another disposable pawn in whatever game Gasparde had come up with.

Gasparde smirked. "I knew you would die before you served on my ship. Your pride would never allow it. I didn't care last time I offered. But now my shipwright is dead, and I find myself in need of your skills. This little runt here is my cabin boy. Worthless little rat, but he worked for my previous shipwright. If you keep my ship running, I'll let him live. If you refuse, he dies."

Murdock growled and reached for his pistol at his hip. The cold kiss of steel against his throat stopped him in his tracks. His eyes flicked to the left, and he could just barely make out the figure standing beside him.

"Ah, thank you Needless." Gasparde said addressing the man, and he looked on at Murdock triumphantly. "There's no need for violence Walter. After all you can't kill me. Now come. You have work to do." Gasparde turned to walk away, flinging the child over his shoulder as he marched towards the docks.

The veteran Marine hung his head and followed after one of the men he hated most in this world. Maybe this was his place in the world. Stuck working with the scum of the earth.

/\/\/\

"Gaara, why can't I steer the ship? That thing's taller than you are." Naruto moaned. He was in charge of this mission and he wanted to steer the ship. Still, seeing Gaara stand behind the helm on the Midnight's Shadow and seeing the ten spoke wheel dwarf the Kazekage was funny.

"Because you destroyed our last ship." Gaara answered in a tone that brokered no argument. "This one has to last more than four days."

"Fine." Naruto turned to look upwards. "Konohamaru! Can you see any of the other competitors yet?"

The young chuunin stood atop the ship's tallest mast, nestled into the crow's nest next to their brand new Jolly Roger. A red, nine tailed, fox adorned the black canvas. A design Naruto had created in the likeness of his tenant. With its tails splayed out, its body wrapped protectively around a smiling skull, and its dagger like teeth bared, the fox looked ready to consume all challengers.

"Yeah boss. I can see a few ships to either side. Looks like we're all headed for the top!" Konohamaru shouted back down to him.

"Good. Samui, do you have everything you need to get us to the finish line first?" Naruto asked, excitement edging into his voice.

"Yes, I have studied the maps of the local area well enough to know which ways will suit us best." The stern kunoichi answered from her spot next to Gaara.

"Good. Ino you all set?" Naruto asked, staring towards the top of the mountain and the Grand Fall that they had all been warned about loomed above them.

"Yes Naruto. I'm ready." Ino answered with exasperation.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered. "Let's show this world what we Shinobi are made of. Dattebayo!" He pumped his arm as they raced to the top. Ships converged around them as the tributaries of the reverse mountain forged themselves into a massive river. The ever increasing current whisked them upwards. Crews on the neighboring ships all readied themselves. Cannons were loaded, swords were drawn, boarding parties were assembled, but each of the crews waited. Not even a spit wad was fired until they reached the top. But, the second the lead ships soared off the top of the mountain, they exploded with activity. As they plunged over the falls, cannons fired, filling the air with plumes of acrid smoke. Ships slammed into each other knocking one another off course. Wood rained down around them as ships took on wounds and water.

Naruto and Konohamaru whooped with glee as the Midnight's shadow hurled off the top of the falls and they joined the fray. Ino rolled her eyes at their antics, but she knew it would be a cold day in hell before Naruto and Konohamaru took something like this seriously.

While they hooted and hollered, opposing crews made their move. Pirates made daring leaps, swinging off from their ships and hurling themselves onto the Shadow. A handful actually made it onto the ship. Ino smiled at their would be attackers. "Hello boys. You wouldn't be here to attack little old me would you?" She laid on the charm extra thick as the men approached. They grinned at her lecherously. A couple made steps directly towards her. "I see, so that's how it's going to be? Who taught you boys your manners?" Ino grinned. "Oh well." Ino worked her fingers, pulling on the nearly invisible strings of ninja wire she had laid out across the deck before hand. The pirates froze as the sharp wires cut into their skin and trapped them in a web of razors. With practiced fingers Ino guided the men across the deck and forced them overboard.

While Ino dealt with the boarders Samui and Gaara had switched positions. The Kunoichi had taken control of the ship to free up Gaara's hands. The Kazekage calmly stood beside her directing his sand to intercept any and all cannon fire aimed their way.

Samui corrected their course, trying to keep the ship within the narrow confines of the river. She frowned at the sluggish response. The sails needed to be trimmed accordingly. "Naruto. I need clones to work the sails. I can't do it all from here."

"You got it Samui chan." Naruto replied. Two dozen copies of himself burst into existence and hurried to various positions in the rigging. Naruto turned to look up towards the crows nest. "Kono, pay our neighbors a visit. Get Samui some room to maneuver."

"You got it boss!" The excitable Chuunin summoned a staff from a scroll at his hip before jumping onto the nearest enemy ship. He bludgeoned his way through the deck crew towards the ship's helm. With a devilish smirk, he spun the wheel towards the edge of the river and jumped away. As he soared back towards the Midnight's Shadow, the other ship ran aground, its hull buckling in a shower of splinters.

The race had begun, and the shinobi were quickly asserting themselves as strong contenders. They took on all challengers. Fighting their way past the cheering crowds of Hannabal Island, they charged out into the open sea. Naruto and his team looked around as they distanced themselves from the island. The field of competitors only half of what it had been. Many had not been able to navigate the swift currents of the river, and others had fallen to stronger crews.

Naruto had noticed the complete lack of quarter given by several ships, most notably the Salamander, Gasparde's ship. Naruto had no problem putting down an attacker. Pirates, shinobi, mercenaries, and the like, all understood the stakes of challenging their contemporaries, but the way that Gasparde operated bothered Naruto. The former Marine's philosophy and purpose grated against what Naruto stood for.

"Naruto let out the sails, and launch the spinnaker." Samui ordered, shaking the blond from his thoughts. "The winds are in our favor."

"You got it Samui chan." Naruto multiplied himself and took to the rigging. There would be time for Gasparde later. For now, they had a race to win.

/\/\/\

 **AN:**

 **Right, well things are settling in, and I feel pretty good about this. I have some fun ideas for events coming in a few chapters, but for now Naruto and the new team have to get used to being on the ocean. Please let me know what you think. Reviews help me know what I'm doing right vs wrong. Also, people have been asking about pairings. There's a lot of potential matchups, and to be honest I'm not sure what route I want to take. I have some thoughts, but I could use a push in one direction or another. Lastly, next update is going to be a ways out as I have vacation coming up, and I'll be spending it entirely outdoors. Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Anton**


	6. Fall of the Would Be King

Chapter 6: Fall of the Would Be King

Naruto gnashed his teeth in anger as he watched the carnage unfolding ahead of powerful guns of marine fortress that was Navarone Island, ripped apart dozens of pirate ships. Each ship charging towards the island with hopes of victory in the Dead End Race, only to realize too late that they had been tricked. Each and every one of them had been given the wrong eternal pose at the start of the race. Something Samui had discovered early enough by consulting what few maps they did have. Early enough that they could have avoided the marine fortress entirely, but Naruto had requested they press on. He wanted to warn the other crews, he wanted to spare them from a painful, if not deadly, fate, but most ignored his warnings. Each too greedy or untrusting in their own right to listen.

"Those were people's lives. Not some cheap thrill." Naruto spat as the last of the pirate ships sank beneath the waves. He could see rowboats coming out to pick up any survivors, but he doubted there would be many. The weather had turned sour, clouds darkened the sky, rain fell in sheets, and the seas had gone turbulent. Naruto looked towards Samui without his usual excitement or joviality. "I want Gasparde."

The blond kunoichi nodded from the wheel. She looked down at one an eternal pose secured to the helm, and began to turn the wheel. Addressing the others, she ordered, "Let out the sails and hold on. We're coming around."

/\/\/\

Gasparde smiled as the Web Panic and its crew raced alongside the Salamander. Its fishman captain stood proudly at its front, glaring toward him. "So you saw through my deception Willy. Good, I was beginning to get bored." As if spurred on by Gasparde's words, the fishman captain and several of his compatriots dove into the water. They became underwater missiles as they swam the distance between the two ships, completely unhindered by the rough seas.

"Needless, my mid day entertainment is here. Get that bounty hunter out here and remove our unwanted guests." Gasparde ordered. He made no effort to move as Willy and his boarding party leapt aboard the ship.

"That was a nice little trick you played Gasparde." Willy snarled. "Too bad for you I actually have eyes." He swung his morning star as if to feel out its weight. "And now you get to see one of my tricks."

Gasparde raised an eyebrow. "You may have followed me here, but that does not make you my equal. If you can get through my men, I will consider dirtying my hands."

Willy's eyes bulged with rage. He spun his weapon around his arm several time bellowing, **"** **Kujirahanmā nage!"** (Whale hammer toss) With a heave, Willy sent his spiked mace sailing towards the former Marine.

The clang of steel on steel echoed across the deck as Needless appeared in front of the attack. Arms crossed in front of his body, the first mate of Gasparde's crew stopped the hammer throw with his cat claws. With a grunt, the stoic swordsman flung the offending weapon overboard. Eerily calm, Needless advanced on Willy.

A member of Willy's crew dove towards Needless, sword at the ready, but his charge ended when a foot planted itself into the side of his skull. The nameless fishman fell to the ground unconscious, and Bascud landed atop him. The bounty hunter turned pirate ground his feet into the unconscious fishman as he stepped off his body and punched another into unconsciousness.

Gasparde Laughed, stopping all fighting on the ship. He stared down at Willy. "You see willy. You're not even strong enough to defeat my crew. But, you provided some mild entertainment, so I will give you the honor of watching me destroy your I will have my men kill you." Gasparde extended his arm out towards the Web Panic. It turned a sickly green and tripled in size. **"Ame yari danmaku"** (Candy spear Barrage) Lances of rock hard candy leapt from the former Marine's body. They sailed through the air, shredded the web Panic's sails, and rained down upon its hull. Gasparde kept up his barrage, shooting spear after spear at the other ship. The Web Panic crumbled under the continuous onslaught, and eventually began to list. The sea flooded into its hull, dragging it down into the murky depths.

Willy snarled. "No matter. My men are all fishmen. The water is our home. We can build another ship, but you," Willy grinned, "You cannot survive without yours." He jumped overboard diving beneath the surface of the waves. The whale fishman swam out of sight before Willy shot back out of the surf. Soaring above the ship he flipped upside down. **"Burōhōru taihō!"** (Blowhole cannon) A torrent of water erupted from the top of his head. The cannon like stream of water rocked the ship, splintering the deck, but not penetrating through the thick timbers below.

"Is that all you can do?" Gasparde scoffed. "You couldn't even put one hole in my ship. You are weak Willy." Gasparde turned and walked towards his cabin. He paused at the door. "Needless, Bascud, kill them all. Then get our newest crew member out here to repair the damage." With those parting words, he disappeared into the ship.

/\/\/\

Night had set, and the seas had gone from turbulent to violent. Lightning arced across the sky and the wind howled. The Midnight's Shadow plowed through the waves, walls of water erupting skyward as its bow plowed its way across the rough sea.

"Wow, this storm is something else. You want me to bring the sails down Boss?" Konohamaru asked from beside Naruto.

Naruto stood behind the wheel of the Shadow, glowing a vibrant orange. He had tapped into Kurama's ability to sense negative emotions in an effort to track Gasparde. "They'll hold Konohamaru. Theses sails and lines were all requisitioned from the ANBU quartermaster. A storm like this won't be enough to rip them." Naruto turned the wheel a few degrees. "Besides, we're catching up." With squinting eyes, he searched the black seas beyond the bow. He could just make out the faint light of a ship rocking along the surface in the distance. "Kono, wake up the others. It's time."

Konohamaru turned to look in the direction Naruto had, and saw the light of a ship rising and falling in the distance. "You got it boss." With hurried steps he disappeared below deck.

A flash of lightning and the crack of thunder drowned out the world around the Midnight's Shadow, but not even the roar of mother nature could silence the shriek Naruto heard next.

"DAMMIT KONOHAMARU! KNOCK BEFORE YOU BARGE INTO SOMEONE"S ROOM!"

"Sorry Ino." A loud slap resonated up through the deck, and the thump of a body hitting the floor followed soon after. "Ouch! Hey, I said sorry!"

"Maybe I should have gone to wake people up." Naruto mused, a grin cracking through the look of determination that had etched his face since they departed Navarone.

The others appeared on deck one after another. Ino came first, her eyes ablaze with anger. Her fury disappeared and and her face took on a green tinge as she desperately grasped for the railing. Ino promptly vomited over the side of the ship, and collapsed to the deck with a moan. A rather grumpy looking Gaara appeared shortly thereafter, and Samui, in her usual stoicism, stepped out after the Kazekage. Thankfully neither of them seemed to be suffering the same as Ino. Konohamaru was the last to come back above deck, and Naruto could not hold back his laughter. A large red hand print covered the entire right side of the chunin's face, and he looked a little dazed. "Don't worry Kono, concussions are good for the soul."

"Ugh, Naruto, you didn't say anything about rough seas when you asked me to come on this mission." Ino groaned, standing unsurely and wiping the bile from her lips.

"You can sit this one out Ino. Gaara and Samui can handle the Shadow. Konohamaru and I will deal with Gasparde." Naruto replied.

Ino nodded her thanks. "I'll find something to make sure this doesn't happen again." She slumped back against the side of the ship, looking green.

"Gaara, Samui, you have the ship. Konohamaru, you're with me." Naruto did not wait to receive confirmation of his orders. He simply jumped overboard, out onto the turbulent waters, and made tracks towards the light in the distance. He was careful not set too difficult a pace. Konohamaru might have trouble with the unstable waters.

The two of them ran across the waves until they were close enough to jump aboard Gasparde's ship. Naruto frowned when he saw Murdock repairing the deck under the watchful eyes of Needless. "Where's your captain?" Needless did not offer a verbal response. Instead, he simply lashed out with his bladed cat claws.

Despite his pending doom, Naruto did not flinch in the slightest. He simply watched the blades come towards his head with calm acceptance, knowing that Konohamaru would intercept the attack. This was Kono's fight not his. Sure enough, with staff in hand, the chunin blocked the slash and kicked Needless through one of the cabin doors.

"What's causing all this noise?" Gasparde grumbled from inside.

"Your reckoning." Naruto spat, as the man walked out onto the deck.

Gasparde tilted his head back and laughed. "Reckoning from who? You and that runt you have trained to follow you?" Gasparde motioned towards Murdock "Look, even Howling Mad Murdock, has bent to my will. If a marine veteran like him can't beat me, what hope do you have Demon Fox. Your measly bounty does not befit your name. You're too weak to kill me." Gasparde looked to his first mate. "I will enjoy watching Needless kill you both."

"I guess now is the time for me to make my move as well." The Pirate Executioner shuffled out onto the deck with a coal shovel slung over his shoulder. "It's been my life's ambition to end you, Gasparde. Ever since you destroyed Elena and stole the Salamander, it has been my life's goal to squeeze the life from your body." The Salamander shuddered beneath them, and Bascud grinned. "One way or another you die right now. The Salamander's boilers will explode soon. If I don't get my vengeance, the ocean will do it for me."

"Gasparde is mine to kill." Needless spat. "He will die by no other's hand. I have worked too hard and too long for someone else to come in and take this from me."

Naruto looked at those spread out across the deck. The hatred that filled Needless and Bascud's eyes, the sad resignation in Murdock's, and the glee in Gasparde's. It made him sick. Some people wanted to change the world, others wanted to rule it, but some, like this man, cared nothing for anyone or anything other than themselves. The world could burn for all they cared.

Gasparde laughed. "Ah, this is truly entertaining. This is the most fun I've had in months." He eyes swept over his assembled opponents, calculating as always. "Very, well. This ship has a single life boat. You four fight and I will let the winner live. Kill each other for the right to survive, and the winner can come with me."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Kono, you can have these two. I will evacuate the rest of the crew and come back for Gasparde."

Konohamaru nodded and readied his staff. "You got it boss."

Naruto moved towards Murdock, who had stayed silent during the proceedings. A sharp tendril of green liquid stabbed towards him. Naruto caught the hardened end of the tendril with his bare hand. Naruto turned to glare at Gasparde, oozing Killing intent. The chill that settled over the ship was more than enough to give the rogue Marine pause. "I will play your game once all the innocent bystanders are safe. Until then stay out of my way."

Gasparde looked ready to protest, but laughed it off. "You can try to save them, but without life rafts you won't succeed. I'll enjoy watching you and the others drown."

Everyone's attention switched to the three fighters at the center of the deck. Lightning flashed overhead, and the crack thunder came with it, tolling the beginning of the fight. Needless, Konohamaru, and Bascud threw themselves at each other. Claws, staff and shovel all met in a mighty clash between the three fighters. Their three man melee ran rampant across the Salamander. Splintered wood, severed rigging, and torn sails followed the trio as they battled for victory.

"Looks like that kid knows what he's doing." Murdock grunted.

"He does, and I know he can knock some sense in those two." Naruto replied. "What are you doing here old man? Seemed like you'd sooner die than serve under me, and I know I rank higher than this scum." He jerked his head towards where Gasparde sat watching the fight like some sort of pampered royalty.

"He found the right leverage." Murdock replied with a shrug. "And I didn't want anymore innocent blood on my hands."

Naruto looked at the veteran sailor with a calculating eye. He thought about prodding the subject, but decided against it. "How many people are on this time bomb?"

"Gasparde's crew is about sixty strong." Murdock answered. "Though I don't know if strong is the right word."

Naruto laughed. "No I don't think that's the right word, but I understand. Thanks."

/\/\/\

Sengoku played with his beard thoughtfully as he watched the procession entering Marineford. Armed guards surrounded three figures on a ship flying the Wano flag. They disembarked in an orderly fashion and followed the guidance of Vice Admiral Doberman. "Let's try this again. Shall we greet our visitors Tsuru?"

"There would be no need to try this again if you had handled the situation properly the first time." Tsuru spat as she fell into step beside the Fleet Admiral. She had berated him about his meeting with Naruto and Gaara plenty enough in the previous weeks. She had always been a strong voice of reason in the Marines, and she played the political game well. Sengoku had no doubt that she would have earned his job had she been physically powerful made their way down from the tower to meet the procession. Doberman stopped the group once the two senior Marines made their appearance.

"Fleet Admiral, Vice Admiral," Doberman intoned, bowing slightly. "Lady Tsunade, Onoki of The Two Scales, and the Samurai Mifune from Wano are here to discuss terms with Marine High Command.

"Welcome to Marineford. I am Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and this is Vice Admiral Tsuru. We have been expecting you for some time. Please come inside. Vice admiral Doberman will show your men to the barracks." Sengoku watched has all but three of the honor guard left with the Vice Admiral. A large jovial shinobi stood behind onoki, a bald Samurai with a cross-shaped scar over his right eye and a tattoo on his scalp stood behind Mifune, and a slender black-haired kunoichi stood behind Tsunade. "If the rest of you would follow me, we can begin."

Sengoku, led the group to a large conference room where he and Garp had met with Naruto and Gaara. "I look forward to reaching an agreement between the Marines and the people of Wano, however before we can start, I must know if you have had any dealings with these two." Sengoku produced two wanted posters and slid them across the table. "These two men came to us several weeks ago claiming to be from Wano. They assassinated two government officials here in Marineford, and then went on to cause chaos and destruction in one of our territories."

Mifune grabbed the two posters and showed them to his compatriots. they exchanged silent nods before he returned the Flyers to send Goku. "You say these men have been here? Are you certain?" Mifune asked.

"Yes, in fact they came and claimed to be representatives from your country." Sengoku answered calmly.

"Damn brats didn't know when to die like the rest of their ilk." Onoki spat.

"These men are the last remnants of a group attempting to incite rebellion in our country. They are traitors of the highest order and marked for death." Tsunade explained. "Any actions they have claimed on our behalf do not represent the views, or the principles of our nation." She drew out the most recent edition of the Bingo Book and slid it to Sengoku. "You will find both of them and more in that book alongside the bounty that has been assigned to each. Feel free to distribute it to your men. Should they come across anyone listed in there, we would happily pay a reward for their capture or evidence of their demise."

Sengoku nodded, "I see, in that case, I will have their status changed to Wanted Dead or Alive. If they are indeed such a threat, then the Marines cannot afford to take any risks bringing them in alive." Sengoku watched carefully as his statement sunk in. None of the delegates offered any outward sign of disconcert with his statement. _This was a smart move, it's going to cause more trouble for me, but I cannot say I would not have done the same in their position._ Sengoku looked to Tsuru who nodded in return.

"Very well, if that is the case then let us apologize for our initial suspicion and mistrust." Tsuru offered. "The heart of the matter it is quite simple. The portion of the grand line where Wano Country resides is a hotbed for Pirate activity. High profile outlaws have made havens for themselves in areas near your homeland. The Yonkou have extensive holdings there among others. As such, we would like formally ally ourselves with your country and install a marine base on your shore in order to help stabilize the region."

"Wano has survived for centuries as a stand alone power. We have turned away all from our borders in accordance to the wishes of our ruling class. Something they demand we adhere to. Additionally, our memories are also not so short as to forget several attempts to invade our homeland that have come from the outside world." Mifune explained. "We do not need the stabilization that you desire. Nor do we immediately see the benefit of what you propose."

Sengoku contemplated Mifune's words before he spoke. "If you saw no benefit, then you would not have come here to negotiate. Your mere presence here shows that you have something to gain."

"You are right. We have spoken to the Daimyo, and they will loosen their restrictions if we can earn something of worth from this coalition." Mifune replied.

"That is good to hear, but I do not think now is the time to get into that particular debate. You have all traveled quite far to come visit us. I have men preparing rooms for you, and your entourage. I request that you settle in and join us for dinner. If any would like, I would also enjoy giving a tour of our facilities. And, once we have all had some rest, we can discuss a possible alliance and its intricacies." Sengoku stressed the term alliance, knowing an easily broken coalition would not please the Gorosei.

/\/\/\

Konohamaru smiled as he dodged another swipe from Needless, and ducked under a parry from Bascud. Blood trickled from a small scratch on his cheek, and he could already feel a few bruises forming across his body. These two were as close to his match physically as he would ever find. If they had been raised as shinobi, Kono had no doubt they would be forces to be reckoned with, but they had not. Neither of them had had the art of warfare pounded into their minds nor their bodies. Konohamaru rolled away from another blow continuing the endless dance that had been their battle. Content with what he had learned from his two opponents, and not wanting to be too overconfident, Konohamaru decided to end the fight. With a leap, he soared over their heads and distanced himself. Confused as to why their opponent would leave the fight, both needless and Bascud paused briefly to see what he was up to.

Gasparde laughed from his seat above them. "Finally had enough runt? I knew you wouldn't last long against Needless or The Pirate Executioner. They're in a league of their own."

Konohamaru smirked. "I have had enough, that's why I'm going to finish this and then I'm coming after you." Bringing his hands together Kono carefully molded his chakra, swirling it in every direction. Slowly but surely the glowing blue ball of a Rasengan took shape in his hands.

Seeing the glowing blue orb, and not wanting to know what it could do,, both Needless and Bascud chose konohamaru as the greater threat amongst them. The two Pirates charged forward in a joint attack. Needless crouched low, jabbing out with his cat claws, while Bascud jumped high into an aerial kick.

Konohamaru smirked. Timing his response, he sprang off the deck of the ship. Keeping the Rasengan primed, he soared over Needless, and met Bascud's diving kick. Twisting his body in mid-air, he brought his foot around shouting, **"Konoha senpu Danmaku."** (Leaf Whirlwind barrage) With a flurry of kicks, he battered his way through Bascud's defence. The Pirate Executioner did his best to block or avoid the aerial attacks, but he simply couldn't match Konohamaru's skill in the air. After a brief resistance, a spinning kick took the mercenary full in the chest, sending him careening through the main cabin the salamander. He did not crawl back out of the crater Konohamaru had put him in. Not one to waste an opening, Needless moved to where Konohamaru would land, his cat claws at the ready.

Konohamaru flipped through the air, orienting himself to meet Needless head on, and thrust the glowing ball of forward. With a shout of **"Rasengan!"** Konohamaru slammed the swirling ball of chakra into Needless' bladed thrust. The attack detonated when it made contact with the cat claws. Metal shrieked and Needless' weapons shattered under the blow. Konohamaru forced himself to drive the failing technique all the way to his opponent's chest. Both men collapsed to the deck of the ship.

"Gwahahaha, that's the best entertainment I've had in months." Gasparde stood from his throne, and walked over to the downed combatants. "Still think you can take me on brat? If it took you that much to beat Needless you'll have no chance against me." He grunted looking down at konohamaru.

Konohamaru groaned something in response, but being face down against the deck it came out as nothing more than a mumble.

"What was that? You have to speak up if you want your betters to hear you."'

A staff pierced Gasparde's body moments later. Konohamaru followed up with a shout of **"Katon: Karyu Endan"** (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet) A dragon shaped torrent of flame burst from Konohamaru's mouth, immolating the pirate captain's body. Gaspard melted into a sickly green goo, and splashed across the deck.

"What the hell?" Konohamaru stared at the good in utter confusion. "I've never heard of a candy clone before. Who is this guy?" He wondered, eyes quickly moving away from the puddle, and darting from one corner of the ship to the next. Having no concept of what a Logia type devil fruit user could do, Konohamaru paid little mind to the small slick of melted candy slowly surrounding his feet. "Get out here and fight me you coward!" Konohamaru shouted.

"I'm right here brat." Gasparde's disembodied voice grunted from beneath him. "And you've earned yourself a slow and painful death."

Konohamaru instinctively tried to jump away from the pirate's voice, but he couldn't. His feet had been glued to the ground by Gasparde's liquid form. Konohamaru's hands flashed towards each other, already forming into the hand signs for his next technique, but they never joined together. Tendrils of sticky green goo stopped his arms, while others ran up and around his legs, locking him into one spot. A larger pillar of goo rose until it stood opposite Konohamaru's face. Gasparde's face reformed from the substance. His skin slightly burnt, and his visage murderous. "I will show you the true power of a Logia Fruit and why we rule the seas." Syrup continued to wrap its way around Konohamaru's body.

Konohamaru's expression quickly changed from one of confidence to one of grim resignation as he failed to free himself from the trap. With his hands immobilized, and his opponent clearly stronger than him, his fate looked rather grim. At least until Naruto returned. CRACK! Kono bit back a cry of pain as his arm twisted violently, the bone splintering beneath his skin. He could feel Gasparde preparing to do the same to his other arm when a new voice interrupted them.

"It's funny, I thought after all those years sailing under Garp, you'd know the fundamental weaknesses of the Logia types. But, it looks like you're just as stupid and power crazy as the rest of the rookies who stumble across one." The voice paused. "Sorry about this kid."

Before either Gasparde, or Konohamaru could react, a brutally powerful haymaker sent the both of them to the floor. Konohamaru groaned, spitting blood out onto the deck. Pain was a good thing, it meant he was alive, it meant he was free, but damn did it hurt. Flopping onto his back, he caught a glimpse of his savior. Soaked from head to toe with dripping seawater, Murdock stood above him.

"You alive kid?"

"Barely." Konohamaru croaked from the deck.

"Good, I'd hate to have killed you." Murdoch grinned. "You fought well, but you're not ready to take on a Logia user just yet. How about you let me step in for a bit?

"No probl….." Konohamaru faded into unconsciousness.

"I was wondering how long it would be before you tried to rebel. I thought your feelings for that innocent child would keep you in check for a while longer, but I guess I was wrong." Gasparde growled, his reformed body sporting a large purple bruise. "I should kill you for that, but I am going to need another ship. Which you will make for me after I kill that little urchin in front of you. Your actions have consequences after all."

"That's where you're wrong you arrogant bastard." Murdock's face twisted into a vicious smile. "All the leverage you had over me is gone. Naruto has evacuated all of your crew, including your hostages, and now you're stuck on a sinking ship with nowhere to hide."

"Bah! There's always more leverage to be found. Your bleeding heart will always be your greatest weakness. I'll have you under my thumb soon enough." Gasparde spat, thrusting his arm towards the unmoving body of Konohamaru. **"Ame Yari!" (** Candy Spear) Gasparde's hand sharpened to a point, turned the sickly green of his devil fruit, and shot towards Konohamaru. Flesh collided with flesh, and Gasparde withdrew his arm nursing a small bruise where Murdock had stuck.

"And that damn ego of yours will always be your weakness." Murdock spat. "You think the Marines have left you alone because they fear you? You're not even worth the time it would take them to track you down. They know it's only a matter of time before you pick a fight you can't win. Hiding in the first half of Paradise and lording over it like some sort of Yonkou, you're weak Gasparde."

Gasparde rushed forward, his arm turning green and hardening as he jabbed at Murdock. The shipright ducked underneath the blow and caught the pirate captain full in the stomach. His hands still wet with seawater canceled the advantages of Gasparde's logia powers. His uppercut hit like a jackhammer, cracking several ribs and sent Gaspard flying. The pirate captain sailed across the deck and slammed into the mast. His body separating into two halves as it hit the wooden pole. Murdock smiled with amusement as he watched Gasparde's two halves reform. "Hurts don't it? Now get up so I can hit you again. Even a deserting traitorous bastard like you got enough training from the marines to be able to survive a hit like that."

Gasparde snarled, his face contorted in rage. "You're little water trick won't last for long Murdock. When your fists dry out, you will die a painful death!"

Murdock grinned. "You're welcome to try."

Gasparde charged forwards, his fists growing into large blocky maces. He swung wildly at Murdock, but his strikes were too slow. Murdock bent, flowed, and slipped past the blows with surprising agility. Aiming for the ribs he had damaged earlier, Murdock delivered a series of lightning fast jabs. One of the bones snapped, the pain forcing Gasparde back and onto the defensive. The burly man attempted to match Murdock blow for blow, but he simply wasn't fast enough, and the two former marines brawled their way back and forth across the Salamander.

When they finally separated Gasparde was furious. "How?! The rain should have washed the sea water from your body minutes ago!"

Murdock laughed, and spat out a glob of blood. "It's simple. You, like every other power-mad logia user, never truly mastered your powers. You thought yourself invincible and left it at that. You're a dumb cocky bastard. You should have known what would happen if you didn't actually train. We watched countless overconfident rookies get ripped to pieces by men like Garp, and here you've gone and made the same mistake. It's pathetic."

Gasparde growled. "You never mastered haki. That's the only way you could hit me like this."

Murdock shook his head. "No, I didn't. but I don't need it for the likes of you. You can't change fast enough to avoid me. Every time you change forms there's a small delay. You have to think about it, you can't do it on instinct, and that little pause is enough for me to hit you." Murdock paused, smiling at Gasparde. "Like I said, you're a dumb bastard." Murdock shot forward. With a lunging jab, he caught Gasparde in the chin, sending him stumbling back.

Gasparde spat blood at Murdock after he caught himself. With his eyes filled by rage, and a murderous expression slathered across his face, Gasparde looked like he had popped. Whatever limits had existed within the man were now gone. "RAAAAAAAAH!" with inhuman strength, Gasparde slammed his hands through the deck. The blow caused the Salamander to shutter, the ship finally reaching its breaking point. "You will not be the end of me!" Gasparde shouted me. "I am Gasparde! I rule the Grand Line, no one has more power than me! No one!" He ripped up the planking, throwing what seemed like half the ship at Murdock.

With a roar of defiance Murdock brought all of his strength to bare, and fought through the timbers as they splintered across his body. When the dust had settled, he still stood, panting, but alive. A litany of new cuts and bruises covered his body. "Damn… that hurt." Murdock groaned. "I'm out of practice." He tried to roll his shoulders to shake out the pain, but found his right arm sluggish and unresponsive. "Shit…" His shoulder had been dislocated. Thankfully Gasparde's rage had separated them. The sea had been quick to swamp the wounded ship, water rushing in to fill the holes Gasparde had created. Soon, the water would claim the entire thing, dragging the vessel down into the murky depths.

Gasparde calmed himself enough to re-orient his fury at Murdock. Having expanded into a large gelatinous blob, he no longer looked human in the least. With a roar, he launched himself, leaping over the watery divide.

Knowing he could no longer match Gasparde, Murdock grimaced. He only had time for one last move, one last attack, and then Gasparde would be on him. His eyes scanned for the limp body of that kid who had come with Naruto, but he was gone. Either swept away by the sea, or Naruto had managed to get one more body away from Gasparde's madness. Somehow he knew it was the latter and Murdock smiled. "Thanks Brat, now I can take this bastard with me." Using his good arm, Murdock picked up a broken section of the mast and hurled it through the air. The sturdy timber sailed passed the incoming pirate captain.

"You missed, and now you'll die." Gasparde Snarled. A hardened spear of candy shot forward, but Murdock threw himself aside before it could gore him.

Murdock dragged himself to his feet and stared at Gasparde. His face etched with utter defiance. "And so will you."

"What!?"

"I couldn't win. So I made sure you lost no matter what." Murdock watched as the mast he had thrown speared the only rowboat the Salamander had. The small escape boat sank quickly. "Die a miserable death you damn bastard."

Gasparde turned his head to see the sinking rowboat. "You fool!" Candy shot in all directions. The tendrils hardened, their tips sharp as they encompassed Murdock's body. The shipwright smiled. At least he had done something right in the end.

Right before Gasparde pierced his body, Murdock heard a shout of, **"Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!"** (Water release: exploding water colliding wave) Before he could process what those words meant, a torrent of water slammed into him. The wave of water carried both him and Gasparde off the sinking ship and into the sea. The world went black as he sank below the waves.

/\/\/\

With the storm gone, the waters calm, and the sun shining, the Grand Line looked peaceful. A far cry from the storm that had ravaged the seas around Partia just days before. Ino lounged out on the deck of the Shadow reading a book and taking in the sun, enjoying the quiet. At least until a thump shook the deck nearby. Sitting up, she glared at the source. "Konohamaru! I said you could move around, not train. You won't be fit to train for another week at least! Give it a break. Taking a few days off to relax won't kill you."

"Awwww, but I'm bored. And I want to train. How else am I supposed to get strong enough to beat weird candy monster people?" Konohamaru whined. His head spun to look up towards the crow's nest where Naruto had disappeared to. "Boss can't we leave yet? That compass thing reset yesterday."

Naruto's head poked over the side of the small platform and looked down at the exuberant youth. "We can't leave just yet. Have to wait for Murdock to wake up. Work on your chakra control, you can do that without moving so Ino won't get mad at you." His attention switched to Ino. "When will Murdock wake up?"

Ino went from happy to annoyed in a flash. "For the last time Naruto. I can't control how long they need to sleep. Everyone recovers at their own pace, and no one, at least no one normal, recovers like you. You're lucky he's alive after that stunt you pulled. Most people don't survive being bombarded by thousands of gallons of water nor drowning. It's a miracle he even survived long enough for you to get him back to the ship."

Naruto shrugged sheepishly before retreating back into the crow's nest.

Elsewhere on the ship, Gaara and Samui both occupied the navigation room, studying maps of the region, and trying to plan their next move. Gaara carely studied the maps, superimposing the orientation of one of the Log Poses they had acquired. "So our next stop is Asuka Island?"

"Yes, but from what I have heard, we should use one of our eternal poses to head towards Jaya first. It's a hub of pirate activity, and a sort of mile marker for many pirate crews. We might find it a better source of information than a lonely island like Asuka. The lawless nature should also mean that the Marines are less likely to be there too."

Gaara nodded. The Marines had been out in force, trying to track down all the survivors of the rigged Dead End Race. The few pirate crews that had survived were scattered all over the region. Thankfully the Island of Partia, where the race had actually ended, was quite friendly to them. Between winning the race, bringing down Gasparde and his crew, they had made a favorable impression on the already pirate friendly island. "We won't be able to stay here much longer. I know what Naruto is thinking, but if we wait too much longer. One of these marine task forces will find us."

"Not cool."

"UZUMAKI! WHY AM I IN A ROOM WITH THIS DAMN PIRATE SCUM!" Murdock seemed to have woken up, and judging from the noises Gaara could here, attempting to either escape the infirmary or kill Needless.

Gaara heard a door slam open and then heavy footsteps as Ino marched by. He heard the door to into the infirmary open shortly thereafter. A grunt of pain followed the Medic's arrival, and Murdock's struggles immediately ceased. "You're here as my patient. You will be quiet, and if you open up any of your wounds or threaten my other patient's safety I will show you why Yamanaka Mind Walkers are feared across the entirety of the Elemental Nations." There was a slight pause, "Now could you tell me how you are feeling?" Ino asked, her tone warm and caring.

"I feel fine, give me some beer, my pipe, and let me out of here."

"Fine, if you're going to be stubborn about it, I'll find out myself." Gaara did not need to be able to see into the room to know what Ino was doing. "(Mind Transfer Technique)" The infirmary went quiet for a brief moment before Murdock's shouts returned.

"Bah! What the hell was that! Damn witch! Stay the hell away from my body!"

Gaara sighed, and stepped away from the table. "Make sure everything is set to go. We're leaving today." He did not wait for Samui to respond, knowing the Kumo nin would do exactly as asked. Walking up to the deck, he called out, "Naruto, Murdock is awake. We can't afford to stay any longer, so get it over with." With that said, he made his way towards the sickbay. Taking up a place against the wall, he stood back and silently observed as Ino tended to Murdock. The Yamanaka heir had come a long way since Gaara had met her, and he was actually happy that Naruto had convinced her to join. While not the best in Konoha, her medical skills vastly exceeded anything most of the other villages could offer.

"Your shoulder set well, and shouldn't cause you any problems moving forward, but I still want you to take it easy. The rest of your body is still recovering. You've got minor internal bleeding and a few of your major organs are bruised. No heavy lifting for at least a week." Ino explained.

"Bah! I'm sore not dying. Besides, I don't trust damn witches. Whatever you did to me was not natural." Murdock muttered defiantly.

"What I did was insert my mind into yours. By taking over your body I can feel your injuries and understand them. Makes healing stubborn thugs like you a lot easier." Ino scoffed. "Now lay still and recover before I have to put you into a coma like I did with him." Ino added tilting her head towards Needless.

"Che, fine. But I still want a beer."

Ino pinched her nose in frustration. Did no one understand anything about proper rest when recovering. Then again, did it really matter? He had survived a battle with a candy man, and a grossly overpowered water jutsu from Naruto. Ino sighed. "Fine, I'll go see if we have any."

As Ino stepped out of the room Naruto stepped in. Murdock looked him over. Carefree and with a wide smile on his face, one might think Naruto naive to the horrors of the world, but Murdock could see the opposite in the blond's eyes. He had seen some of the worst the world had to offer, but even so, he fought to find the good. "Is Gasparde dead?"

Naruto frowned. "No, or at least I didn't kill him."

"Why not?"

"I thought about it, and for a while I really wanted to. But after watching Konohamaru's fights, your fight, and hearing what others had experienced because of him, I realized it wasn't my place. He really had not done me any wrong. At least nothing I would impart the death penalty for. No he had much more to answer for to people like you, Shuraiya Bascud, his little sister, and all those pirates he sentenced to death just for the hell of it." Naruto answered. "So I captured him, and then I let Shuraiya turn him in after I learned his and Adelle's story."

"So, Bascud was that little twerp's older brother then?" Murdock smiled. "Not much of a role model, but I can't say I'm any better. With that money they'll get a new start on life. Not bad Uzumaki, not bad at all." Murdock looked like he was contemplating something. "What about him. I know Needless has a sizable bounty himself. Why didn't you let them take him too?"

"Needless had ambition. His entire driving force in life was to kill Gasparde. Why? I don't know, most likely just another crime of that man, but everything Needless did came about because of that event. I didn't want to condemn him to a fate that he might not deserve. I think he should get a new chance at life." Naruto replied.

"What if he just changes targets? If he's already consumed by revenge, what's to say he won't go after you for taking away Gasparde?"

Naruto shrugged "Nothing, and he will. It's all a person consumed with revenge can do. Move from target to target, thinking that each one will bring them peace, but none of them do. That's why when he wakes up from the beating Konohamaru gave him, I'm going to train him. I've seen what revenge does to people, and I lost my arm beating that nonsense out of my childhood teammate." Naruto's bandaged arm twitched unconsciously at the mention of his and Sasuke's titanic fight. "With any luck, if I give Needless purpose and the skills to do something else, I won't lose my other one beating the snot out of him."

Murdock coughed with laughter, groaning as his injuries flared. Once he got his body back under control the old marine smirked. "You're a strange one kid. You got a good head on your shoulders, and you stick to your guns. I've only ever met a few like you. Tell you what. I'll join your little crew. Given that I now owe you a debt for saving my sorry ass, and the fact that if don't my ship will be at the bottom of the ocean before the month is up, you've got yourself a shipwright."

"Hey this is my ship! You handed it over fair and square!" Naruto challenged, all seriousness gone. "Besides, now that you've officially joined you should give me my money back! Teammates don't charge each other for services rendered."

"It's my ship until the day I die! And…."

"NARUTO! What did I say about disturbing my patients!" A livid Ino had returned to the room. "If you like it so much down here, you can join them!" Her hands moved in patterns that made little sense to Murdock until Naruto's body disappeared in a poof of smoke. When the odorless cloud disappeared, a log wrapped by razor sharp ninja wire stood in Naruto's place. It and the mess of wire tumbled to the floor when Ino chased after their wayward captain.

"That log better not have come from somewhere important Uzumaki!" Murdock shouted, having no clue where the blond would have found a timber of that size on the ship without compromising something important. His ire subsided when the beer Ino had forgotten floated into reach. A thin barely visible trail of sand held the beverage. Murdock's eyebrow rose questioningly when Gaara stepped into the room.

"I warned you about him." Gaara said

Murdock grinned, accepting the beer. "That you did."

Gaara turned to leave. "You should get your rest. It's only going to get more chaotic from here on out."

Murdock grinned. "Heh, you brats have no clue what's in store for you. These seas bring a whole new meaning to chaos. It will be fun to watch you wet your nappies."

/\/\/\

Well, here's another one. I'm mostly happy with this. I'm trying to find the right hierarchy of power within Naruto's team and I think I'm getting there. Konohamaru could not have beaten Gasparde, not without a much better knowledge of devil fruits, but he would have walked over Needless or Bascud in an individual fight. So I paired them up against him. I'm also enjoying working with Murdock too, a salty ex marine who's got heaps of experience to backup brute strength despite rather plain technique. Still, plenty more to come. I will hopefully have another chapter out by the end of the month. Please let me know what you think, as every review helps me make this better.

Thanks for reading.

Anton


	7. Beginnings of a Legacy

Chapter 7: Beginnings of a Legacy

Naruto slipped past another swipe of Needless' fist and sent his newest crew member tumbling with a palm thrust. Needless jumped back to his feet, ready for more, but Naruto was done. "Nah, that's enough for today. If you want more practice, ask one of the others for a spar." Naruto ignored the glare the former marine sent his way, and stuffed his hands into his pant pockets. He turned to leave, but Needless stepped in front of him.

"You forced me onto your crew with the the promise that you would train me. With the promise that I would not have to bow to someone like Gasparde again, and this is all I get? You force me to fight without my weapons, in your style, and even then only for a few minutes a day. You promised me strength." Needless said, frustration evident in his gruff voice.

"I did, I will, and you will get stronger. But that takes time, and we've done enough for today." Naruto answered. Needless looked ready to protest, but Naruto cut him off. "You stopped adapting, stopped learning, about five minutes ago. To go any further now would be pointless. And I am forcing you to fight without your weapons because Konohamaru broke one of them. Until we can get you a new set, you will train with just your hands. You need to be able to fight without them as well as with them. Besides, you're strong and you're fast, but I can make you stronger, and faster. For now, think about what worked, and what didn't in our match. Look for areas where you can improve. You're a very analytical fighter, very technical fighter, so use your mind to your advantage." Naruto shrugged, "Or, beat your head against the wall. It's your choice."

Needless grunted in disapproval, but he did not pursue the subject any further. He stomped away muttering under his breath about shitty captains, and how he would kill them all. Naruto sighed, and shook his head. Needless did not know Naruto could hear everything he said. Another perk of being a shinobi, but it wasn't always so great. Forcing Needless to join the crew had been a difficult decision, but Naruto felt it had been the right one. Needless could be helped, Naruto could feel it. He just needed to show him that there was another way. A better way. Naruto turned to stare out across the ocean, thankful for the small rocky island that dominated much of the horizon. It would be a nice reprieve from the open seas. Jaya had come into sight early that morning, and they would make it to the port soon. He could see a few other ships making their way towards the island, and noticed something about them. "Hey Murdock. Why is it that every other ship out here has cannons but we don't?"

"Just now noticed did you?" Murdock chuckled from the helm. "It's because even though I liked you enough to build you a ship, I wasn't about to build you a weapon." The shipwright looked down at Naruto on the foredeck. "Besides, I saw what you and yours did at the start of the race. You don't exactly need them."

"That's horseshit! I paid you for a pirate ship! I want cannons!"

"No, you asked me to build you a ship. Just a ship, no pirates involved." Murdock growled, biting into the stem of his pipe. "Besides, cannons are just over compensation. Any true sailor worth their salt can get by without em. Now either help me dock or get out of the way you damn Brat!"

"You can't talk to me like that. I'm captain!" Naruto shouted.

"I'll talk to you however I damn want! Show some damn respect to your elders!"

Naruto never had the chance to respond. Ino stepped onto the deck, the bags under her eyes a remnant of being on watch the night before. "Stop shouting or I'll stitch both your mouths shut! Some of us are still trying to sleep." Ino slammed the door behind her and disappeared back below deck.

Naruto glared at Murdock, letting the old marine know they weren't done yet, but did not utter another word. They would finish this argument later. As quietly as he could, Naruto spawned a handful of clones to assist as Murdock skillfully maneuvered the ship into Jaya's small Harbor. The master shipwright brought the Shadow to rest a mere step from the docks. At which point Naruto and his clones carefully secured the ship to the available pylons. Within minutes, the task was complete, and the crew began to disembark.

"Boss I'm off to explore. Anything I need to look for?" Konohamaru asked,

"Nah, you're good." Naruto replied, waving off the energetic chuunin.

"When are we leaving?" Needless' gruff voice asked.

"Three days. We have to leave before the Log sets." Samui announced, as she made her way up from below deck.

Needless nodded. "I'll be back." He said before disappearing off onto the docks.

Samui tossed a scroll to Naruto. "Send that back, it's for the Kages."

Naruto nodded. "Sure, you got it Samui." But she was already gone, having leapt ashore for her own tasks. Gaara slipped passed, as silent as could be, and then Ino burst onto the deck.

"I'm off to go shopping! See you boys later." Ino shouted, her voice filled with excitement.

Naruto blinked rapidly, not understanding where the kunoichi's weariness had gone. Hadn't Ino been trying to sleep? Naruto spun around only to find Murdock missing as well. Had everyone disappeared into town without him. "Dammit, I'm captain of this ship! I do not get stuck with watch! That's not how this works!"

"Zehahahahaha! Looks like you were too slow Little Fox. You gotta be quick if you want to survive out here."

Naruto's annoyance fled as he looked down at the large black haired pirate on the docks The newcomer could not be anything else. With his unkempt appearance, ratty clothes, and the bottles of booze stuffed into the horribly stained yellow sash at his waist, the man screamed pirate. Not to mention, Naruto could feel danger lurking underneath his benign exterior. Still, no point in stirring the pot just yet. "That's okay, they may have gotten away with it this time, but us foxes are known for our tricks. I'll get them back when they least expect it."

"Zehahahaha! I like you kid. Name's Teach, though most people just call me Blackbeard."

Naruto tried to remember if that name had been one assigned to one of the hundreds of wanted posters he had studied, but it didn't ring a bell. No, Blackbeard did not have a bounty, and that meant something. What it was Naruto had no clue, but the man had enough of a presence that it meant something. _Look underneath the underneath,_ Naruto thought to himself as he studied Blackbeard. Wanting to keep things light, Naruto played along, and introduced himself. "Uzumaki Naruto, though you already seemed to know that."

Teach nodded, his toothy grin never waning. "I like to keep tabs on the up an coming. Tell me kid, what's your dream?" He asked, his voice a little more serious than before.

"Hmm, well I have several dreams. Some of them I've already accomplished others I haven't." Naruto answered, successfully hiding the smirk that he desperately wanted to show. He had long since forgiven Kakashi for his quirks, and especially after realizing the fun they could be. He watch Blackbeard think about the non answer for a second. His confusion very apparent, before Naruto took mercy on him. "But, I would like to leave an impact on the world. Make it a better place."

Teach studied him for a moment with renewed vigor. "You're strong just like that Straw Hat kid. You got heart. I like that." He reached up to scratch at his beard. "And your lucky. If you were worth more I'd have to kill you. See, I'm in the market for a good bounty. A really good one."

Naruto grinned. "Hmm, well I guess that means you're lucky too. Cause you can't afford to lose the teeth it would cost you to fight me."

"Zehahahahaha, that, that right there." Teach slapped at his thigh. "That spirit, don't ever lose that. Not enough people like you out here anymore. Hold onto it, and you'll find a way to achieve your dream."

"Oh I plan to. No matter who tries to stop me" Naruto leaked some killer intent towards Teach, but the man did not so much as blink an eye. Seeing this, Naruto decided to probe a little further. "So you ran into Luffy? I haven't seen him since we split ways after Alabasta. Where'd you see him?" Naruto asked, his tone casual.

"He was here just a few days ago. Just barely escaped my grasp." Teach answered. "And he wrecked my ship when he went blasting off to a sky island."

"Sounds like Luffy." Naruto laughed, making sure to log sky islands in the back of his mind. It was something that would warrant an investigation later.

"Fuffuffuffuff. What do we have here? A Whitebeard deserter, and a rookie fresh out of his diapers. Maybe there is some fun to be had out here after all." The newcomer stood taller than either Naruto or Teach. Dressed in a flamboyant pink coat, with sunglasses to match, he clearly enjoyed attention. His odd strut spoke of a unique confidence as well. One that only people who had true strength could produce. He looked directly at Blackbeard "I've heard rumor that Ace is in the area, and he's looking for you. Maybe I should point him in your direction. The fireworks would be quite a show."

Teach actually looked a little nervous, but waved it off. "Bah! Ace doesn't have the strength to kill me."

The newcomer shrugged uncaringly. "Perhaps not" He turned his attention to Naruto "And you, Uzumaki. You have good taste, the world needs more smiles." He stared up at the smiling skull that flapped atop the Midnight's Shadow. "I've heard interesting things about you too, and it just so happens that there's a recent opening in my organization. Let's just say someone got cut from the team for too many failures."

Naruto shrugged. "Nah, I don't do well with authority. You should offer it to someone else. I'd hate to see that pretty face of yours get messed up because I was an insubordinate little minion."

"Fuffuffuff, suit yourself. The Donquixote family will endure without you. But will you be able to endure without us? Arrogant little rookies tend to die rather painfully out here on the Grand Line." The man smiled cruelly. "Just ask Bellamy the Hyena what happened to him. Burning the wrong bridges leaves you stranded and marked for dead." He returned his attention to Teach. "As for you, I know what you want Teach. Your little mime came to a certain meeting I attended recently. If you want it, head to Banaro Island. A prize worthy of that goal will meet you there. So long as you can capture him." The man grinned viciously. "I look forward to the chaos."

Teach frowned in uncertainty, but was unable to ask any questions. The flamboyant newcomer had already reached up, and as if grasping the air itself, pulled himself into the sky."

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "Who the hell was that?"

"Heh, you still got a lot to learn kid. That was Donquixote Doflamingo. A member of the Shichibukai, and one of the more dangerous ones at that." Teach answered, his voice no longer as carefree as it had been moments before. "Grow stronger Uzumaki. Maybe then we can stand on level ground…" He seemed to want to say something else, but he never did. Blackbeard simply turned and continued on his way down the docks.

Naruto looked out towards the spec that was Doflamingo and then back to the retreating form of Teach. "Hmm, I don't like those guys." Turning his focus inward, he addressed his eternal companion. _"Hey Kurama do feel like stretching your legs a bit?"_

" _ **You want me to follow that fat oaf?"**_ His tenant asked. _**"Why should I? If I stay here, I can continue napping until you actually pick a worthwhile fight."**_

" _Because I asked you to?"_

" _ **Fine, but I want two tails worth of my energy."**_

" _Done."_

Naruto ran through a variation of the hand seals used for summoning, carefully pulling on Kurama's chakra. When he slammed his fist into the deck of the ship, a small cloud of smoke erupted from the point of impact. A small two tailed red fox appeared at the point of summoning. The fox looked up at Naruto, and gave the blond a toothy grin. " **I'll be back once the boredom really sets in."**

"Kurama, keep a low profile. I don't trust this place, and I don't trust these people. I want to know why."

Kurama snorted and twitched his tails in agitation. **"You're lucky I like you. I'll snoop around for as long as I can."** With a blur of red, Kurama disappeared, leaving Naruto totally by himself.

"Well, I guess I could train…"

/\/\/\

Gaara made his way through the jungle at a reasonable pace. He had wandered through Mock town, listening to the residents whisper about recent events. Bellamy the Hyena had laid claim to the port for weeks until Luffy and the Straw Hats had shown up. Supposedly Luffy had let the hot shot rookie do as he pleased until the spring man had attacked someone named Montblanc Cricket, a new found friend of theirs. Following the duel with Bellamy, the strawhats had apparently done battle with some other pirate crew and escaped, via a knock up stream, to a sky island. Gaara had his doubts about the last part, but if there was such a thing, he knew Naruto would find a way to get them there. He would want in on that particular adventure. A Shichibukai, Doflamingo Donquixote, had also been seen on the island recently. It seemed that Jaya really was a hotbed for piracy, and all the recent activity had been high profile. Something Gaara believed to be a sign. From the Marines approaching the Elemental Nations, the rebellion in Alabasta, and heightened pirate activity, too many events were happening simultaneously to be purely coincidental. Pieces on the shogi board were moving, but to what end? And what would it mean for him and Naruto?

Gaara hoped Montblanc Cricket would be a better and more willing source of information than the rest of the town. Being a pirate friendly port, the residents of Mock town knew that too loose of lips could sometimes mean a nighttime visit from former patron. No, for most of Jaya it made sense to respect the unspoken agreement between the pirates and the residents.

As the forest cleared, Gaara caught sight of the faux castle that Cricket called home. Two ships, each garishly decorated in a monkey motif, floated at anchor in the small bay beyond the home. Gaara quietly approached the front door, and knocked. The door opened to reveal a tall muscular blond man. With purple track pants, a tattoo that said "Maroon", a cigarette dangling from his lips, and a large chestnut atop his head, if nothing else, Montblanc Cricket had a unique appearance.

"Who are you? And what do you want?" Cricket growled.

"My name is Gaara, and I am a friend of the Straw Hat Pirates. Can I come in?"

Cricket studied Gaara suspiciously for a moment. "Bah, fine! Come on in." He stepped back from the door, and turned his back to Gaara. "Luffy described someone like you, said you had a blond friend named Naruto. The two of you were supposedly part of that shitstorm on Alabasta."

"Yes, he and I were on opposite sides in fact. Naruto supported Luffy and I had been hired by Robin to protect her." Gaara replied. When he stepped into the house, he noticed the two ape like figures lurking just inside the door. They looked like they had been ready for trouble. Gaara spied a pile of bloody bandages in the trash nearby. Looks like the reports had been correct. Trouble had been here recently.

"You lot sure did shake up the hornet's nest. Luffy's new wanted poster came through just after he left. I haven't seen a bounty raise like that in a while. Not to mention all the new bounties they put out on you and the others." Cricket laughed. "It's nice to see some real rookies shaking things up again. People like Bellamy have thought themselves big shots for too long."

"I see." Gaara muttered. "So you keep track of the pirates coming through here, and this part of the sea in general?"

"Sure, it's hard not to when I used to be one of those arrogant rookies myself."

"I'd like to offer you a deal. Naruto and I need information on a regular basis. If you and your friends could keep us informed of pirate activity in this area, we'd be willing to pay you for it."

Cricket slumped onto a nearby stool, and stroked his chin. "I'll consider it, but you have to tell me why."

"Is the prevention of senseless bloodshed and a war the scale of which the world has not seen in centuries a good enough reason?" Gaara answered.

Cricket smiled. "It is, but my family comes from a line of storytellers. I would like to hear your story."

Gaara fought the urge to roll his eyes. Maybe he should have stayed on the ship. "Very well…"

/\/\/\

Ino walked back towards the Midnight's Shadow, arms full with shopping bags, and a smile on her face. Mock town had been surprisingly fashionable, and she had been able to find a couple new outfits amongst its stores. Additionally, with their winnings from the Dead End Race, her little spree had not even put a dent in her pocket book.

"Hey babe looking for a good time? I have a 30,000,000 Berri bounty, I could show you a thing or two."

Ino sighed. Of course scumbags were a dime a dozen here. All these pirates and their precious bounties. Did none of them understand that the monetary reward for their capture did not actually relate to strength. It simply meant they were more likely captured and killed. Still, they seemed to a boasting point for many. Maybe she needed to do something wild and reckless like Naruto, simply so she would have one assigned to her. It might actually get some of the riff raff to lay off a bit.

"Hey I'm talking to you!" an arm shot out and tried to grab at Ino. Ino groaned as she sidestepped the swipe. She turned to look at the thug and his two compatriots. Each wearing a lecherous grin as they looked her over like a piece of meat.

"And I was ignoring you. Now go before I have a good time collecting your bounty." Ino spat.

"You little!…."

The nameless pirates never had the time to finish drawing their pistols. Three senbon needles flashed into place between Ino's lips. With unimaginable precision, she fired them from her mouth. Each needle embedding into a pirate's forehead. Their eyes crossed as they tried to focus on the thin pieces of metal, and then, one by one, they fell backwards dead as could be. Ino didn't even pause, simply stepping over the bodies and continuing towards the docks. She shot a few daring looks towards her observers, but they all backed away, letting her pass unmolested. She probably should have used a non lethal poison, but Ino knew the type. Just one look at their hungry eyes, and she knew the world was a better place without that scum in it.

"I'm back!" Ino announced hopping up to the railing of the Shadow. She barely caught a glimpse of Naruto sitting legs crossed in the center of the deck before a flash of white and blue blinded her.

CRACK!

"AHH! SHIT!" Naruto howled, rolling in pain on the deck.

Ino dropped her bags and ran to Naruto's side. "Sorry Naruto! I didn't mean to startle you."

"Not your fault." Naruto hissed. "Besides, the battlefield is full of distractions. If I can't handle you shouting a friendly greeting, how am I supposed to keep this thing going during a real fight."

"Fine, still, let me see what you've done. I am here as the team medic after all." Ino tried to get a good look at the damage, and gasped when she saw how mangled her fellow blond's hands were. His fingers were bloody, broken, and dislocated. In their current state, Naruto's hands were completely useless. To make it worse, burns covered the majority of his forearms. Even the tough artificial limb Tsunade had made from her grandfather's DNA had not survived whatever Naruto had cooked up. "You're creating another one of those monster techniques aren't you?" Ino chided, her hands already glowing with the green hue of the mystic palm technique.

"Sort of. The Rasengan was my dad's technique, and I've completed it several times over by adding elemental chakra. They are difficult techniques, and I'm happy to have completed my dad's creation, but this is something new. Something I want the Uzumaki's to be known for once I get the clan restarted. Something that's entirely mine."

Ino shook her head. "Well whatever it is, be careful. I can heal broken bones, create antidotes, and keep you alive, but I'm not Sakura or Tsunade. No miracle cures from me. Just the basics." Ino smiled when Naruto's wounds sealed up. "Now for the fun part." She grabbed his hand and jerked it painfully. A loud series of pops rang out as she reset the bones.

"AHHHH!" Naruto howled. "That hurts!"

"Don't complain to me. You're the one that did this to yourself." Ino reached for his other hand. "So you want to rebuild the Uzumaki Clan? That's the first time I've heard you mention it."

"Yea...AAAAH!" Naruto screeched as Ino attacked his other hand.

"Oh quit being a baby. I know you're tougher than that."

Naruto jerked his hand back and rubbed it absently. "That was mean Ino. You didn't have to distract me like that."

"I didn't want you flinching just because you were looking at it." She huffed. "Next time you can fix yourself if you're going to be so ungrateful. Baka!"

Instead of getting angry, Naruto erupted with laughter. Ino looked at him incredulously. No doubt wondering if what few shreds of sanity he had left had finally left him. Naruto fought through the laughter. "Don't look at me like that Ino. The way you yelled at me just reminded me of when we were all in the academy together. You and Sakura fighting over Sasuke, Shikamaru sleeping through every class, and me causing all sorts of hell." Naruto smiled. "Things were a lot easier back then."

Ino smirked. "I don't know Naruto. You seemed to have a pretty hard time deciding whether or not you wanted to kiss Sakura or Sasuke. That could not have been easy. Although," He grin turned savage, "I don't really blame you for choosing Sasuke Kun over Forehead."

"Well I got to kiss him before you or Sakura did, so what's that say about you?" Naruto laughed, not taking offence in the least.

Ino sighed. "We've come a long way haven't we?"

"Yeah we have. And we still have a long ways to go." Naruto answered. "These people out here, these Pirates, theses Marines, they're all different. I'm not really sure how we are going to find a common ground for us all to stand on."

Ino cuffed the side of his head. "Naruto, you worry too much. You're not a planner like Shikamaru, so don't try to be. But," She smiled. "You've always pulled through for us in the end. I'm sure you will figure it out this time too."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Ino. And thank you for agreeing to come along."

Ino waved it off. "Someone had to do it. And you're not the only one who wants to exceed their parents. Daddy was great in T&I, and in the Ino Shika Cho Formation, all things that I've been able to duplicate and exceed, but this," She gestured to the ship and their surroundings. "This is all me. Whatever the result of this mission is, it will be something totally of my own." Ino stood up and grinned. "Now, since you're the only one here, you get to help me carry all my goodies down below." Before Naruto could protest, she had thrown all her bags atop him. "Chop, Chop Naruto."

"Help…. Anyone…?" Naruto muttered weakly, his body straining under the crushingly heavy pile. "Please…."

/\/\/\

The rest of their time on Jaya had passed rather sedately. The Shadow Fox crew mingled with the inhabitants of the island, restocked the ship, and kept their ears to the ground for any information that might benefit them, but for the time being it seemed as if the giant cogs of the world had slowed at least for a moment. Naruto even took a short trip to Yuba to see if Toto had any new information for him, but the Alabasta native had nothing noteworthy. Only that recovery for the desert nation looked good and had progressed nicely since the pirates had left. Something they could all be happy about, but not the sort of intelligence the Shinobi needed. Still, despite it not being much, they had made progress, and they had created the opportunity that the other Kage needed from what little they knew. Between that opportunity, and contacts on three different islands, they had a start. A far cry from what it needed to be, but it was a start.

Rocking gently in a hammock he had strung up in the rigging, Naruto looked down at the pages of the only true novel his godfather had ever written. He missed the man now more than ever. Trying to follow in his footsteps, Naruto realized just how strong Jiraiya really had been. The man had never given up on making the world a better place, and neither would Naruto.

"Naruto, everyone is back, and if we want to go to Asuka island we need to leave now before the log pose adjusts to Jaya." Samui said, her approach silent as usual. "Or would you prefer to stay and see if we can lock onto the sky island that you heard about?"

Naruto looked up at the Kumo Kunoichi, her face stern and expressionless as usual. "You should smile more Samui." He grinned, completely ignoring her question. "Being serious all the time is bad for your health. Just look at that sparkplug you call a Kage and the grumpy old man with the bad back in Iwa. No smiles, no fun, and bad attitudes."

"Insulting the Kage is not cool. I would ask if you referred to your own leader in such a fashion, but I already know the answer." Samui retorted. "This is the precise reason why Raikage-sama sent me to accompany you on this mission."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at her. "What's the point of life if you can't enjoy it. Beside, your village's Jinchuriki is just as crazy as I am. He raps, I cause unparalleled mayhem. I don't see the difference."

Samui raised an eyebrow stoically.

Naruto sighed, "Fine, fine." Throwing himself from the hammock, he joined Samui on the mast. "All work and no play. Let's go be dull and boring."

Naruto smirked, "Well, at least as dull and boring as rogue ninja can be." Quick as lightning, he tapped Samui between the eyes. "You're it!" Naruto fell backwards, plummeting towards the deck of the ship, multiplying as he went. "Catch me if you can Samui-chan!" He and his clones shouted simultaneously.

Samui's face twitched in irritation, but she refused to validate Naruto's childishness. Dropping to the deck silently, she prepared to set sail and assumed her position next to Gaara at the helm.

"You may want to wash the graffiti off your forehead." Gaara offered nonchalantly.

Samui strained to keep her face emotionless. "I actually want to cause him harm. I want to strangle him."

"You're welcome to. But if you're going to do it, you better kill him. If you don't, it will only get worse. He will stop holding back." Gaara answered.

Samui's eye twitched. "Not cool."

As the crew sailed clear of the island, an echoing bell sounded out from the heavens. Looking up, they could all see the silhouette of a man's head and shoulders adorned with some sort of circular hat. Naruto, immediately recognizing the profile clapped his hands. "Bravo Luffy, Bravo." Turning to the others, his eyes alight with excitement, Naruto said, "We have to find a way up to a sky island. That looks way too cool."

/\/\/\

Sengoku looked over the parchment in front of him and Tsuru. "So this is your compromise?" He asked. "You will not let us build on your shores, but you will resupply our ships and give them limited access to a single port city. Additionally you wish to enter into a contract with the World Government. For standardized fees, you will deploy your own military forces after targets of our choice. Am I understanding this correctly?"

"Yes, while we believe your intentions to stabilize the region would be a benefit to our nation, the respective rulers of our land refuse to allow any structures to be built for permanent occupation by World Government personnel. We would welcome temporary guests in specific locations, but we cannot offer more than this." Mifune answered as diplomatically as he could. They had to say no, but they also could not afford to anger a government as large and as powerful as the World Government. Another war would be the end of the Shinobi and the Samurai.

"I see, we would have to negotiate terms for the exchange of goods and the standardized fees involved in the military contract. However, this is much more than I hoped for. I can approve a three year trial period. After that, we will determine how effectively our cooperation has stabilized the region. I would also request that medical services be made available to my men. Shipboard medicine has advanced greatly in the past few decades, but some things cannot be fixed while at sea."

Tsunade spoke up. "As the premier medical mind of our nation, I will ensure that any sailor that needs medical attention receives the best we have to offer. The port that will be made available to your men has excellent medical facilities. They will be cared for until they can be discharged back to your service."

Sengoku nodded in approval. "That is very good to hear. I am glad we have come to this compromise. I hope that this arrangement will bring our two governments closer, and that we can build a powerful alliance as we do so."

"Bah, just make sure your men know that they will not be allowed to wander. Our country does take well to foreigners. Too many wars have come about from "Innocent Travelers." Between rogues, and standing orders with our own men, we cannot guarantee the safety of anyone who ventures outside of the designated city." Onoki grunted. "It will take time for suspicion and paranoia to grow into trust."

Tsuru glared at the former Tsuchikage, "You would kill wounded soldiers?"

"No, you misunderstand me. We have perfected the art of espionage. For us it can be a way of life. As such, we understand that not all those who claim asylum need it. Any attempts to conduct espionage in Wano under the guise of a medical recovery will be exiled from our shores. If they resist, they will find a forceful response."

Sengoku stoked his beard. "Understandable."

"Fleet Admiral! You can't be serious?"

"If I understand correctly, our men will receive a safe haven from the ravages of the New World at the behest of the Wano people. Something which we desperately need." He studied the faces of the Wano diplomats. "So long as we do not betray the trust being given to us, no harm shall befall any of our men, and both the Marines, and Wano will see benefit. Is that correct."

"Yes Fleet Admiral." Mifune acknowledged. "It is not for lack of trust in your people, but in our own. Much like you are familiar with the dangers of the Grand Line, we know our own land best. To the unaware, Wano can be a very dangerous place. Historically, we are a violent people, and some still hold to the old way. The two rogues who attempted to usurp this meeting are such an example. We are offering you our hospitality, something which is not exactly within the wishes of our superiors, but a solution to both our betterment and your own. However, the safety of your people can only be guaranteed under the watch of our alliance. We actively combat unrest within our borders, something which I am sure you do as well, but there are many who would love nothing more than to create diplomatic tensions between our Governments." Mifune explained. Sengoku remained pensive, and Tsuru seemed to have calmed. "However, Onoki is correct when he says that espionage is frowned upon within our nation. It is something that we have dealt with extensively due to our history, and any caught performing such acts will be forcefully expelled."

"I can guarantee that no such activities will be sanctioned while I am in charge of the Marines." Sengoku replied, "We would ask for greater access to your lands, technologies, and resources with time, but not without your approval."

/\/\/\

Naruto, Ino, and Konohamaru all felt at home as they hiked ashore on Asuka island. As a summer island, it had thick trees, lush vegetation, and a climate that seemed to mirror that of fire country. They had anchored the Shadow in a small inlet a ways down from one the island's ports to avoid suspicion and set off on foot. Gaara and Murdock trailed the trio as they made their way down into the town.

They wandered from shop to shop, grabbing supplies, and other necessities for the ship. From talking with the locals, they learned that the Marines had recently set up a small dojo on the other side of the island. They were training new swordsmen there, and offering positions to the locals. Making a note to discreetly inspect the training center later on, the group moved towards a restaurant in the center of town.

"The Fox and The Raccoon, a unique pair. One to challenge the fates with blood and destruction."

Naruto and Gaara tensed, each preparing to make a move against the tall man with long straw like hair, who had spoken from a table nearby. Cards stuck on small stick like strands of straw obscured him from their view. The cards shuffled around briefly. "Ah, but today is an unlucky day for killing. Perhaps another time." The man added. The cards dropped away to reveal the face of Basil Hawkins, a pirate captain from North Blue, who currently held a bounty of $130,000,000. Sitting with his hands clasped together, dressed in neatly pressed clothing, and with a calm expression on his face, the pirate looked more noble than outlaw.

"Who's this guy?" Konohamaru grunted ignorantly, "He looks like he could give the Hyuuga a run for their money in the stuck up and stuffy department."

"And you dress like a slob. Only fitting for The Monkey, or will you become The Ape?" Hawkins replied.

"Huh?" Konohamaru stared at the pirate in total confusion.

"He's referencing your clan's association with the monkey summons." Gaara answered. If Hawkins knew about his connection to Shukaku through some means, it would not be much of a stretch to say he would know about the Sarutobi family. The question was, how?

"But how does he know that?"

"Because I can read the signs." Hawkins answered. "I simply relay them to the world as they apply. Some, like those that represent your fate, are easier to understand than others." He explained looking towards Gaara and Naruto. He stood, and his crew, who were spread out amongst the tables of the restaurant, rose to join him. "I hope fate allows us to meet again. We would stay, but the red moon comes. It will bring, violence, betrayal, and the Mighty Fist. We have no wish to test that fate, it would be unlucky." Hawkins explained.

"I've seen some strange shit on these sea, but that boy is up there on the list." Murdock grunted as the Hawkins crew departed. None Naruto's crew could understand what had just happened, they just watched with confusion as the other pirates left in peace.

"Yeah, that made no sense." Konohamaru grumbled. "Can we get food now?"

"Gaara, Ino, were you able to get anything out of that?" Naruto asked pinching his nose in concentration. "I'm trying to piece together that crap, but I just don't have the mind for it."

"What are you talking about boss?"

"I may not be the most book smart ninja around, but I know useful information when I hear it." Naruto answered. "I just don't know how to decipher it."

"Sorry Naruto, I can't make heads or tails of it either." Ino replied. "I could try to get a mind transfer, and see what I can learn that way?" She offered.

Naruto shook his head, "No, that might cause a fight, and I'd rather lay low on an island that has a marine base. Even if it's as small and unexperienced as this one seems to be" He turned his attention to Gaara. "Anything?"

"Not yet. I am still trying to connect the clues. However there is a red moon coming in several days." The Kazekage offered.

"Right, well let's stay on our toes." Naruto shrugged. "But we can't do that on an empty stomach so we might as well eat."

"Here, here." Murdock agreed. "And beer. Beer helps with everything."

/\/\/\

Kurama, had trailed the obese form of Blackbeard back to his ship. The strange raft like vessel looked like it had been put back together by a child, but it floated. Stowing away on the vessel had not been difficult. While Kurama could sense almost no end to the malace held by most of the crew, they were not the most observant group. They had left Jaya the day Naruto had arrived, and made their way to Banaro island. The small crew raided the island, easily dispatching the small marine garrison that guarded the island's sole town. Revelling in their piracy, they made themselves comfortable as they waited. Kurama had almost left, but the man Blackbeard had been looking for finally showed up. He immediately went about attacking Blackbeard, and his crew. Their fight raged, nearly destroying the island. Even Kurama would admit it had been impressive. The power of their abilities would have placed them amongst the highest tier of fighters in the elemental nations. Both would have easily ranked as S level targets in the bingo book.

Ace had pitted his fire against Blackbeard's darkness. At first it seemed they were quite evenly matched, their powers canceling each other out, but Kurama had seen what Ace could not. The darkness radiating from Blackbead could absorb the flames. Blackbeard was hiding his true strength while Ace spewed and more fire. Eventually, Blackbeard took the advantage. He toyed with Ace, reveling in his ability to cause the younger man pain. He bragged, and lorded over his opponent. Landing vicious blow after vicious blow on the the 2nd Division Commander. Ace, for his part, made several desperate counters, but Blackbeard just shrugged the damage off. Each time Ace retaliated Blackbeard would just howl with laughter, and hit back twice as hard. Eventually Ace fell into bloody unconsciousness, his body ruined, and his spirit broken. As the tremors of the battle wore off, Blackbeard's crew drug themselves out of the rubble. They had all scattered when their captain had claimed the fight above their level. With the danger gone, they converged on their captain. Blackbeard slung Ace over his shoulder, and with his crew at his side, turned to leave. He took half a step before abruptly stopping. He turned and looked directly at Kurama.

"Did you enjoy the show little fox?" He smiled cruelly. "We've enjoyed having a pet for the last week, but I think it's time we part ways. Permanently."

Van Augur lowered his rifle in the blink of an eye, and fired. Kurama barely dodged the speeding bullet, hopping backwards as the pirate unleashed a dozen precise shots.

"Zehahahahaha! I knew Uzumaki had something to offer!" Blackbeard shouted. "Burgess, get in there."

Van Augur's attacks relented when the beefy helmsman dove towards Kurama. Kurama slipped through the wrestler's outstretched hands, and jumped atop his body as he crashed into the ground. Kurama flicked his tails hard enough to daze the man, and for added embarrassment, emptied his bladder atop Burgess' head. Kurama kicked off the downed wrestler and leapt to the top of a nearby pile of rubble. **"I misjudged you, you're not as much an oaf as I thought."** Kurama snorted, his deep voice rumbling from his currently diminutive body. **"But you are the vile spawn of the lowest depths of humanity. All of you.** "

"We're Pirates!" Blackbeard shouted "It's what we do." His grin went manic as he added, "It's what we do best!"

" **And this is what I do."** Kurama opened his jaw, and forced almost all of the chakra Naruto had given him into the dense spherical form of a Bijudama. Without pause, he fired the attack. Despite only having two tails worth of energy, the blast blossomed into a massive domed explosion. What remained of the tattered town vaporized, and sea water rushed to fill the crater. Like many other battleground where Kurama's power had been put to use, the island would never be the same.

"Zehahahahaha, That stung! How about another!"

Kurama growled with frustration as Blackbeard reappeared from within the blast zone. Standing holding the limp bodies of Ace and Burgess, Blackbeard looked battered and bruised, but unbeaten. Blood ran down the side of man's skull in tiny rivers, his skin shone red with burns, and a few more teeth were missing from his grin, but he still stood. The unconscious form of Burgess looked to have suffered worse than his captain. Several of his bones were badly broken, jagged spears of white protruding from his skin, but the wrestler would live. The rest of Blackbeard's crew revealed themselves to be mostly unharmed. Van Augur and Doc Q reappeared alongside his horse at the edge of the crater. Kurama scowled at the lack of damage. He had hoped to at least maim one of them, but he did not have enough power, at least not with Blackbeard acting the part of a shield for his men. His abilities were truly frightening.

" **Next time, I won't hold back."** Kurama spat, his voice tinged with frustration. Reversing his summons, the fox disappeared in a poof of smoke.

/\/\/\

Naruto and the others returned to the Shadow after a second visit to the town. Fresh food, water and other supplies for the ship had been stored in scrolls where they would not spoil unless retrieved. A system Murdock and Needless had been baffled by at first.

"Meh, I'd call that cheatin if it weren't to my benefit." Murdock rumbled. "Though I'd still be up shit creek if you brats weren't here to open these damn things."

Naruto smiled as he stacked the last of the scrolls in the galley. "Nah, all you need to do is prick your finger and smear a little blood onto this seal here." Naruto explained, pointing at a small seal on one of the scrolls. "I keyed your blood into my seals once you joined the crew."

"I don't remember giving you any blood." Murdock growled, a vein in his forehead pulsing as he held back his frustration.

Naruto grinned. "You didn't."

Murdock took a swipe at his captain, but the enigmatic blond vanished before the blow could land. "GRRRRAH! UZUMAKI! Get back here so I can pound some common decency into that thick skull of yours! You can't go stealing another man's blood! It's just not right!"

A small toad hopped into the room and handed the irate shipwrite a note before disappearing. _Scroll number five has the beer._ "Hmm, maybe the Brat has some sense after all." His irritation fleeing at the promise of beer. With a steady hand, Murdock pricked his thumb on his combat knife. A hint of trepidation creeped into his mind as he smeared the blood across the seal on the scroll. The nervousness disappeared and a smile briefly graced his face when the scroll popped open. The brief sense of elation fled when a flood of beer erupted from the scroll. Hundreds of gallons of the liquid surged out of the scroll, knocking Murdock off his feet and washing him towards the door. when the torrent subsided, Murdock was left sputtering, coughing, and choking against the far wall. He sat in a stunned silence for almost a minute before Konohamaru stuck his head into the room.

"Oh man, Boss got you good." Konohamaru chuckled, as he surveyed the carnage in the galley. "Hey you haven't seen Needless have you? I was supposed to spar with him this afternoon."

Murdock did not answer. He just sat there stewing in the remains of Naruto's idea of a good time. Veins pulsed in his forehead, as he tried to remain calm.

Konohamaru knew the shipwright was one little push away from exploding, so he decided it was best he leave before he became the target of Murdock's ire. "Right, well I can see that your busy, so I'll leave you to it."

/\/\/\

There's lots of characters in One Piece that I feel don't get enough screen time, especially the Supernovas and the 're all characters that we know, but not very well. Naruto's wanderings are a good way to better incorporate them into the story and expand on their characters. Hopefully it makes things a little more interesting and provides good interactions for Naruto and his team. I've got some good things coming, but I'm struggling a little to keep the momentum so bear with me. Work's been running me ragged. Still, I hope this hits the spot. Let me know what you think.


	8. Fortune or Fate

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review this story. Whether they are feel good reviews or harsh criticisms, they all push me to write more. I try to respond to all my critics, answer anyone's questions and so on, but if I have missed someone do not think you are not appreciated. I've had numerous reviewers talk about the difference in strength between the Shinobi and the World Government/Marines. This chapter should address some of that. Hope you enjoy.

/\/\/\

Chapter 8: Fortune or Fate

Samui and Ino looked down on the Marine dojo from their hiding spot in the trees. The two kunoichi had been selected for recon duty by Naruto, and neither had expected to find such destruction. Smoke and ruin were all that remained of the other village, and the Marine Dojo. Oddly enough, loose straw seemed to be littered around the battlefield as well. "Hmm, not cool."

"No, not cool at all. This looks like a massacre. Who could have done something like this?" Ino added looking at the remains of several marines. Some of them looked to be very young, and none of them had been spared."We should go. There's nothing to gain from staying here."

"Yes. We will have to report back to Naruto-sama."

"Naruto-sama? Really? Don't give him any more of a swollen head. He gets enough of that from Konohamaru already." Ino chastised as they backed away into the woods.

"Raikage-sama has placed me under Uzumaki-sama's command. It is only right that I give him the respect of such a position. He is also a jinchuriki, a sacrifice that is highly respected in Kumo." Samui answered.

"Yeah, I get that, but he's still just Naruto. The loudmouth prankster of our genin class." Ino huffed, not liking that her argument was being picked apart.

"Of your genin class." Samui corrected. "You have a history with Naruto that you cannot separate from his position. I do not. Unlike you, I first met him after he had established himself as a worthwhile opponent. Between that, and his actions during the 4th Shinobi War, Uzumaki-sama has earned my respect."

"I guess you're right." Ino sighed, her mind drifting back to the conversation she had with Naruto several days prior. They really had come a long way from their genin days.

Samui cracked a small smile. "I'm not so emotionless as you think. There are plenty of times when I would love to strangle him."

Ino laughed. "If you didn't feel that on occasion I'd declare you mentally unfit for this mission."

/\/\/\

(Next Day)

Captain Hina smirked when she saw Uzumaki's new flag, and his new ship anchored in the distance. Clearly the blond haired pirate had been busy since he made a fool of her and her crew in Alabasta. Still, he had not run far enough or fast enough. "Hmm, Hina knew she would find you. Now Hina just needs to find the Straw Hats. Then she will have caught every pirate who escaped Alabasta. Hina will keep her record of having never let a pirate escape."

Fullbody appeared at her side. "Captain Hina, are we moving to attack now?"

"No, Signal half the ships to stay here and watch them, but we will circle around to the other side of the island. Hina knows we are going to need help. We will ask Captain Saga and his dojo for assistance."

"Yes captain."

They left three ships as a sentry while Hina's flagship and one other sailed around to the other side of the island. The trip took a few hours. Hours that grated on Hina's nerves as each minute they delayed was another chance for Uzumaki to get away. However, once the small harbor that serviced the Marine Dojo came into sight, concern over Uzumaki escaping left Hina's mind entirely. The outpost was gone, totally destroyed. Only the splinters of destroyed buildings remained, and she could not see any signs of life. Hina bit through her cigarette in anger. "Hina will make Uzumaki pay for this!" she turned to face her crew. "I want everyone in the long boats. We have to search for survivors."

Hina and her marines scoured the destroyed dojo for survivors, but they could not find any. Hina grit her teeth, rage bubbling under her usual calm. It was massacres like this that made her hate pirates. The victims of this attack had not been just the marines. Citizens from the village nearby lay amongst the dead. Uzumaki had not spared a single soul. "We will bury…"

"HINA! We found someone!" Fullbody shouted. He and Jango had been digging through the remains of the dojo, when they had found a body underneath all the rubble.

Hina rushed over, and gasped when she saw the battered form of Captain Saga. Between the cuts, scrapes, nasty bruises, and ragged stump stump of a right arm it was a testament to the man's resilience that he was still alive. The mangled arm looked like it had been torn or sawn off. Hina suspected saga had only survived the grievous wound because the weight of the debris he had been buried under had likely stemmed the flow of blood. "Saga! Can you hear Hina?" The captain groaned in response. "Jango go get the surgeon." Hina ordered calmly. "Saga, can you hear me. Who did this?"

"Demon…." Saga coughed. "Killed him…. times….. kept coming... back…"

Before she could ask him anything else, the surgeon Jango had fetched pushed her out of the way. "That's enough!" He shouted. "This man is in no condition to talk. If he has any chance of survival, we have to get him back to the ship right now."

Hina bowed out of the way, and let the surgeon do his job. Turning to the rest of her men she said. "We have take care of the dead. It is our duty to bury them, and pay our respects. Once we have taken care of our own, we will make those who did this pay. Uzumaki and his ilk will suffer the wrath of the Marines!" No one cheered, but an air of determination settled amongst her men.

Hina lit a new cigarette, pulling smoke into her lungs with a deep breath. "Hina will be back to help shortly. Jango, you're in charge until then." Without another word, Hina joined the surgeon and the men carrying Saga back to the ship. After making sure they had everything they needed to keep the wounded captain alive, Hina made her way to the communications room. "Patch Hina through to Smoker-kun." She ordered.

"Yes mam." The operator worked a set of switches and picked up the receiver off the den den mushi. "Yes, I have Captain Hina requesting Commodore Smoker." He paused for a moment, listening to the other side. "Thank you." The operator handed the receiver to Hina. "Here you go Captain."

"What do you want Hina?" Smoker's gruff voice echoed out of the speaker.

"The Asuka Island dojo has fallen to pirates. Uzumaki is here, and he slaughtered Captain Saga's men and severely wounded the captain. Hina needs back up. Uzumaki already beat Hina's Black Cage Corps once."

A long sigh came from the otherside. "Uzumaki is a pain, but he does not seem to be the type to kill like that. Despite walking over my crew like they were fresh recruits, he did not kill a single one of them. Are you sure it was him?"

Hina could feel how much it pained Smoker to admit anything good about a pirate, but he had always been one to give credit where credit was due. "Hina is sure. Captain Saga claimed a demon did it. Said he killed him several times."

"Call Garp. He and Bogard are in the area. Sengoku sent them to clean up Alabasta, and last I heard they were making their way back to headquarters. I'd help, but I'm chasing down Kidd and too far away to help. Besides, if Uzumaki is aiming to kill, you will need Garp. He's beaten me too Hina."

Hina sighed. "Thank you Smoker-kun."

"Good luck Hina, and be careful." The click of Smoker hanging up ended the call. Hina handed the receiver back to the communications officer. "Send a request to Bogard for help. Hina has to go back to shore."

"Yes Captain."

/\/\/\

Naruto groaned as he processed all the information that had come back to him. The marines had found them. Murdock had been up in the rigging when he spotted a trio of their blue and white ships off the coast. Naruto had jumped to the crow's nest to confirm, and recognized them as Captain Hina's Black Kage Brigade. An annoyance that would not doubt get worse once they discovered what Ino and Samui had about the unpleasantness at the Marine Dojo. With Hina currently sailing towards that side of the Island, he had little doubt the blame for that incident would be pointed at them. If they could get away before the Marines came charging back with righteous anger, everything would be okay. But, Needless was missing. The former first mate of Gasparde's crew had disappeared during watch the day before, wich stranded them on the island until they could find him. Lastly, Kurama had returned from his journey with Blackbeard. The Biju's report on what he had seen, was not comforting. Naruto sighed, as usual, when it rained it poured. The only good news today had been the log pose resetting, none of the eternal poses had been a good fit as Asuka Island laid off the main routes across Paradise.

So now they just had to hope the others came back soon. Naruto had sent Samui, Ino, and Konohamaru out with some clones to scour the island for Needless. They were under orders to retrieve their indentured crewmate, and hightail it back to the ship. But, this was shaping up to be a Naruto special. No doubt everything that could go wrong would.

"I guess it was too good to last." Naruto grunted. "Gaara, has that ship moved at all?"

"No, its still holding offshore Naruto." Gaara answered calmly.

"Murdock, we can outrun them right?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, that's a standard Marine frigate. Meant to carry a lot o' weight, but they're slower than shit." Murdock smirked. "Just not as slow as a battleship. Good to see High Command is still too stubborn to update anything."

Naruto Nodded. "Good, once the others return with Needless, I want to get out of here without shedding any blood. This is going to be a big enough mess as it is."

"Wasting a lot of time for that damn pirate…" Murdock grumbled, but he let it go when Naruto shot a glare at him. With a sigh he added, "Shouldn't be an issue getting past them. But you should know Hina is not going to leave us be. She'll find a way to track us down. I knew her old man, damn good marine, and if she's anything like him, she will chase you to the end of seas and back."

"We will deal with that when the time comes. For now I want to get away from this place." A flash of memories assaulted Naruto's mind as one of his clones with Konohamaru dispersed. "Damn more of them?" He turned to the others. "Another ship just sailed into sight on the other side of the island. Looks like Hina called in some reinforcements. Looks like someone important too." Another wave of memories burst into his mind, and Naruto clenched his fist. "I'm so kicking his ass after this…" Seeing the questioning look on his teammates' faces, Naruto smiled, rubbing at the back of his head. "Well, Samui found Needless… But he's not exactly in the mood to come back. More of a, kill everything in sight, drink blood from the skulls of his victims, and conquer the world sort of mood. He may or may not also be possessed by an evil sword..."

Murdock looked towards Gaara to see if this was some kind of joke, but the Kazekage's expression was one of stoic acceptance. "He's serious?" Gaara nodded. "I've seen some strange things on these seas, but somehow I think this voyage is going to change how I view the word normal on a fundamental level."

"There is no such thing as normal when Naruto is involved." Gaara grunted, his expression staying calm even as a flight of massive cannonballs sailed into view. On their current trajectory, they would fall just short of the ship, but they were just the vessel. The true threat rode atop the four steel projectiles. "Just remember you joined this team of your own free will." Gaara added, as he tracked their incoming guests.

"UZUMAKI! You're a dead man!" Monkey D. Garp shouted from atop the rear most cannonball. Beside him, a tall man in a brown suit rode his own projectile with practiced ease. The same could not be said for the pink and blond haired teens that clung to the the forward most cannonballs for dear life.

Naruto sighed, "Well, so much for just running away."

"I will go play punching bag with Garp until he calms down. Gaara, Brown Suit is all yours." The kazekage nodded as his gourd appeared on his back, and he leapt out onto a cloud of sand. Naruto shed his jacket, and turned to Murdock. "Protect the ship." With that order given Naruto disappeared in a flicker. He reappeared mere feet from Garp, his leg already outstretched in a kick. The blow caught Garp in the ribs and sent him sailing into the island's interior. Naruto disappeared again, chasing after his opponent.

"Any sane individual would run like hell away from Garp, not towards him." Murdock grunted. "Damn brat, dragging me into this shit. I was retired! And I liked it!" His attention switched to the two cabin boys that were dragging their way onto the Shadow. Cracking his knuckles, Murdock stepped towards the blond and pink haired duo. "Looks like Garp has some new whipping boys. Let's see what he's taught you shall we? Or do you want to be good little runts and jump ship now?"

"Not a chance!" The pink haired one shouted. He disappeared from sight before reappearing next to murdock with a flicker.

"Soru, eh? Not bad." Murdock ducked underneath the roundhouse that followed with ease. Putting these trainees in their place would be fun. Murdock grinned, "Not bad at all. What's your name kid?"

"Coby." The teen grunted as he blocked a heavy handed punch from the shipwright. The blow sent him sliding back across the deck, but he managed to keep his footing.

"And who's your friend Coby?" Murdock asked, parrying a slash from the blond with his combat knife.

"Name's Helmeppo." Helmeppo, swung his other kukri knife in with his off hand.

Murdock disengaged, not having a way to parry the second blade. "Hmm, and Bogard has been teaching you how to use a blade has he?" Murdock chuckled. "Though, I'm sure he's still upset that he can't get an apprentice who uses an actual sword." He assumed a ready stance and beckoned at the two youngsters. "Alright boys, lets see how far along you are in your training, and how rusty I am with mine."

/\/\/\

When Konohamaru and one of Naruto's clones had seen the incoming marine ship with a dog like figure head, the young Sarutobi had told the clone to alert Naruto to its presence. With the warning taken care of, Konohamaru had jumped into action. He sprinted towards the coast where the ship had been headed, and made it to some cliffs above the ocean just in time to see a large burly man pick up and throw a massive cannonball from the ship's deck. The thing was easily the size of a large food cart, but the man threw it like it was nothing more than a pebble. A pink haired teen followed soon after, being thrown onto the giant bullet. The man repeated the process with another cannonball and a blond teen. The third time he threw a cannonball, a man in a brown suit casually leapt atop it from the deck, and rode it calmly. The burly man finished up by throwing one last cannonball and then jumping atop it himself. Konohamaru watched them sail overhead and knew he needed to get back to the ship. Moving carefully, he tried to retreat back into the woods, but found himself diving for cover when a bullet whizzed passed his head.

"What the hell?" Konohamaru coughed, spitting dirt from his mouth. "What was that?" Rolling over, he leapt to his feet only to have to dodge another bullet as it came whistling by. A third shot came quickly after that. Then a fourth, and soon Konohamaru found himself dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging out of the way of bullets as they pelted the forest around him.

"Ahhhh! I dont…" He rolled to his left. "Have…." He leapt over another musket ball. "Time for this." He panted, his eyes finally catching a flash of muzzle fire from the ship. "There you are!" Konohamaru shouted. Summoning his staff from a tattoo on his wrist, he actually blocked the incoming bullet. With a twirl, he blocked another three shots. Konohamaru tried to inch backwards into the treeline, but the second he moved, another barrage of musket balls came flying in. Blocked them all, but he could not move.

"Hmm, now what" Konohamaru muttered. He had to get away, and the marine ship floated too far away for him to actually hit with any of his jutsu. This would not be fun.

/\/\/\

Samui ducked under a stab from Needless. Weaving around another thrust, she contemplated how to handle her enraged teammate. Needless flicked his wrist in attempt to adapt to Samui's movements, but all he got was a few strands of her hair. Samui grunted with displeasure as she jumped away. She had to separate him from the sword. The cursed artifact had played on Needless' emotions, drawn him in with the promise of power. Substantial power, judging from the new height of his abilities. Every strike was stronger, every thrust faster than the last, but all of it unfocused. Needless had lost all sense of tact as the sword's curse overrode his mind. At this point he was little more than a beast, a slave to do the blade's bidding.

"Draw your sword Samui. I will slice the cold inderrence out of your body before I end you. And once I'm done with you I will carve apart Uzumaki's crew one by one until I get to him." He smiled murderously. "Of course there's other fun to be had too. Your screams will be like music to my ears, and then there is your body. Hopefully it's just your heart that's cold."

Samui dodged another thrust. "Hmm, your welcome to try. Greater men than you have tried, and they all failed."

Needless roared with anger. "There is no one greater than me. Can't you feel this power." With a heavy handed overhead swing, he brought the sword down on Samui. Pursing her lips with displeasure, Samui parried the slash with her own sword. She strained under his enhanced strength, but managed to hold off the blow.

"Hn, not good enough." Samui ran through a set of one handed seals before thrusting her hand forward. **"Raiton: Seidenki"** (Lightning Release Static Shock) A pulse of blue energy leapt from her hand and buried itself in Needless' chest. His body spasmed momentarily, but the swordsman just laughed it off, relishing in the pain.

"So you're an electric woman, even better! I love a woman with a spark in her eye. They always fight to the bitter end."

Samui retreated slightly, annoyed that she could not just kill Needless. It would be so much easier. However, despite her extreme dislike of Needless at the moment, Naruto had brought the man onto their team. That meant she had to capture him, not cool.

Rather than close the distance, Needless drug the Shichiseiken across the ground. Sparks burst from the tip of the blade as Needless forced it through the earth. **"Yokazan!"** Green flames erupted from the blade as Needless whipped it towards Samui. The flames leapt from the blade forcing Samui to backpedal even further. Despite her quick reaction, the fireblast had scorched her. Something Needless took pleasure in. "You're not the only one with ranged attacks.

Samui's reply came in the form of additional hand signs. **"Raiton: Niseidenki"** (Lightning Release: Double Static Shock) Moulding her chakra into electricity she hurled two bolts of electricity towards her possessed comrad. Both landed, erupting as they impacted against Needless, but he just laughed it off as he charged forward. Samui brought up her blade just in time to block the Shichiseiken. Once again it seemed like Needless had gotten stronger. The the sword fed off the energies of the battle and consequently its hold over Needless strengthened the more they fought. Samui would have to find a way to sever the connection between Needless and the sword.

/\/\/\

Gaara stood atop a cloud of sand calmly observing the man in the brown suit who appeared to be standing on thin air not twenty paces opposite him. The man was not truly standing on the air. Instead he was hopping on it. With small, precise, lightning fast kicks, the man was generating enough force to stay afloat.

"Sabaku No Gaara. Sengoku had good things to say about you, at least until you decided to get mixed up in that mess in Alabasta."

"Sengoku is a good man. Which is more than can be said about some of your compatriots." Gaara answered. "You know my name, would you be so kind as to give me yours?"

"My name is Bogard. Before we get needlessly violent I have to ask, did you and Uzumaki kill those marines?"

"No we discovered them yesterday morning. We had no part in that slaughter." Gaara answered.

Bogard nodded. "Then I will do my best to capture you without causing too much pain."

"If we had done it?" Gaara asked.

"Then I would have ensured you suffered." Bogard's hand flashed with untraceable movement. A razor sharp blade of wind erupted from his waist and streaked between them. Gaara tried to dodge, but simply wasn't fast enough. The blade of compressed air sliced through his armor, easily cutting through the dense sand Gaara constantly surrounded himself with.

Gaara felt a warm trickle of blood run down his cheek, and frowned. "You are the fifth person to ever draw blood from me in battle. I do not like to bleed. I had meant to simply delay you, but now I think I will extract my pound of flesh." Gaara grunted as the sand around his face reforming into his flawless armor. With a simple gesture towards Bogard, his sand exploded outwards. It flowed from the Kazekage's gourd in a thick river of brown. Bogard leapt away from the sand's path, his arm flashing with movement once again. This time, Gaara's eyes caught the movement. Bogard was an iaijutsu user, and the fastest Gaara had ever seen. Bogard's sword flashed forth from its sheath and returning with each flicker of movement. Gaara managed to impose a wall of sand between himself and the blade of wind the lightning fast technique created. Sand exploded outward as the air wave collided with the wall. Gaara did not wait to make his move. Using the scattered sand, he brought his hand closed in the crushing motion. " **Sabaku Sousei"** (Desert Funeral) The sand closed in around Bogard with crushing force. Bogard did not hesitate in the least. With a powerful slash, he cut his way out of the sand before it could fully enclose him, and dropped towards the sea. Gaara followed close behind, hurling spears of sand after the Marine, who batted them away with precise swings of his sword.

As he fell into range of the water Bogard swung his sword down into the sea with blinding speed. **"Suiryuusen!"** (Water Dragon Flash) The sea rippled before a fountain of water exploded up and out towards Gaara.The Kazekage barely managed to surround himself with a ball of sand before the spout of water slammed into him. His absolute defence holding out against the torrent of water. Gaara spawned a third eye outside his defence to track Bogard, however, the Marine had not followed up after taking the advantage with his surprising attack. Instead he floated mere feet above the water.

Gaara dropped his shield, but kept his sand at the ready. Bogard seemed to be studying him. "So, you are not a devil fruit user then. And here I had just thought you were being overly bold by challenging me over the water."

"No, my abilities are my own." Gaara answered.

"And there are thousands of you?" Bogard asked.

"In a sense." Gaara answered vaguely.

"What a terrifying concept." Bogard muttered. "Though I suppose it is heartening to know that rogues like you have been marked for dead in your country. I cannot fathom the destruction that would result from a unified uprising."

"Our thoughts are not too dissimilar." Gaara replied. "Though from our perspective it is the Marines to fear."

"Perhaps." Bogard admitted, "Though the factions within our system that would do you harm are contained, much like you are an outcast from yours."

"Enough with the stalling." Gaara grunted, sand coiling behind him like a snake. "Have you decided how to combat me now that you have realized water will not render me inept."

"I have." Bogard dropped that last few inches until his feet actually hit the water. The second his shoes touched the liquid, he disappeared from sight. Water soared skyward as he ran atop the calm sea.

Bogard moved with speed Gaara had rarely seen, and shielded himself from view with the spay he threw up. Knowing how quickly things could go wrong when facing someone capable of such speed, Gaara shielded himself once more. This proved wise when Bogard's next attack came bursting through the water wall.

" **Yamata No Orochi!"** (Eight Headed Dragon.) Eight, dragon shaped, blasts of energy shot towards Gaara, converging on his shield. The water infused bullets slammed into his shield simultaneously. Gaara's sand struggled under the onslaught. The automated defence pushed him further and further back as it thickened into an impenetrable wall.

Bogard smiled as he watched Gaara struggle to stop the Orochi. He hadn't had a fight like this in ages. Spinning around he prepared for his follow up. Spinning faster and faster, he concentrated his will into his blade. Both its sheath and pommel went jet black as the metallic sheen of haki covered the weapon. With impeccable precision he halted his rotation, stopping himself and his sheath, but not the blade. **"Hiryuusen!"** (Flying Dragon Flash). The haki imbued blade leapt free, sailing directly towards Gaara. Bogard stared, curious to see which would win, his unstoppable thrust, or Gaara's ultimate defence.

Gaara's sand reacted almost instantaneously. It morphed from a featureless wall into the shape of a human woman. Her arm reaching forth in an attempt to catch the black blade. Bogard's sword pierced straight through the sand construct, it's haki infused strength too much for the sand alone. But, Gaara's ultimate defence did slow the blade. As it pierced through the back of his mother's shield, Gaara clasped his hands on either side of the black blade. He pumped chakra into his hands, even delving into the magnet release of his family's bloodline, to get the blade stopped. Even so, the tip of the blade speared into his shoulder. His sand armor sloughed off around the point of impact showing that the blade had just barely broken the skin.

"I don't like bleeding… I'm really beginning to dislike you." Gaara growled, Bogard's weapon firmly in his grasp. His normally passive face morphed into a bloodthirsty grin. "I believe it is your turn." His sand exploded outwards, surging towards the weaponless marine.

/\/\/\

Ino looked at the trio of Marines in front of her and cursed her luck. After Naruto's clone had dispelled itself, she had kept to the trees and attempted to surveil the Marines coming from the destroyed dojo discreetly, but one of them had seen her, somehow. Ino knew she wasn't the best in the stealth department, but she was still damned good. She had to be for certain Ino Shika Cho strategies. Which was why she had been surprised when a group of three marines had singled out the tree she had been hiding in and brought it down around her.

Ino jumped free of the falling tree, grumbling as she fell back to the earth. "Dammit, I knew something like this was going to happen." She took on a seductive pose, and winked at the trio as she landed well clear of the destroyed tree.. "I don't suppose you'd let little ol me go would you?" The two men who flanked their pink haired captain immediately transformed into blubbering messes, but the captain did not flinch in the slightest.

"Hn, Hina is not amused. Hina is insulted you think so little of her, and Hina thinks women like you give the rest of us bad names. Using your body so you don't have to fight is shameless. Where is your pride?!"

Ino felt the vein on her forehead throb. "I give women a bad name….no pride...shameless" She sputtered. "Why? Just because I don't want to fight? Just because I'm willing to show a little skin? I'll have you know, I work hard for this body, and it would be a crime not to use it however I please. It's just as much a weapon as anything else in my arsenal. You need to get laid you top heavy, pink haired, cow." Ino spat, before moving into a more provocative pose. "I see the boys don't mind me doing so."

Hina scowled with outrage. How dare this woman say and do such things. Seeing her subordinates falling over themselves with lust, Hina snapped. "Jango Fullbody, control yourselves, she is the enemy! She is to be captured and returned to high command for interrogation." To their credit, her marines snapped to attention, their weapons out and at the ready.

"When I say one, two, Jango you will calmly surrender." Jango ordered. swinging his chakram, he said, "One, two, Jango."

Ino felt the attempt at hypnotism wash over her, and laughed. "You call that a mind technique. That's pathetic. Let me show you what a real mind technique does." Ino's hands snapped forward into familiar hand signs, blurring through the positions with near impossible speed. Settling into the tiger seal, Ino whispered. **"Magen: Yūdokuna han** **a"** (Demonic Illusion: Poisonous Flowers) To her opponents eyes, Ino simply faded from existence as large purple flowers erupted from the ground. Plumes of lavender colored toxins spewed out of the blossoms, wafting about on the breeze. Fullbody was the first to experience the fumes. He wobbled about losing all motor control as he breathed in the fumes.

"Wha… What is this?!" He stammered as he fell towards one of the purple flowers. "I can't control my body."

Ino reappeared from within one of the nearby flowers. "Poison. It's my specialty." She announced with a savage grin. A brutal roundhouse sent Fullbody tumbling through several more flowers, clouds of poison erupting with each impact. He groaned, trying to stand and recover, but his body would not obey his commands. Tripping, stumbling, and crawling, he went every which way but towards Ino.

Seeing what was happening to his teammate, Jango swung his chakram before he could not. Making sure both Fullbody and Hina could see his weapon he commanded, "When I say one, two, Jango we will be immune to this poison." The hypnotist stared at his own chakram as he shouted, "One, Two Jango!" Jango's body steadied as his hypnotism overrode the effects of the poison. Nearby, Fullbody righted himself as he regained control of his muscles. Bumping his fists together with agitation, he searched for Ino's elusive form. When she reappeared behind him, blossoming out of a flower that had not been there moments before, Fullbody only had time for his eyes to widen before a heel crushed into his jaw. A sickening crack echoed in the clearing as the blow sent the man flying.

"Fullbody!" Jango cried, but he soon found himself subject to the same treatment. How could this woman move so fast? And where had Captain Hina gone? They needed her strength if they were going to beat this woman.

/\/\/\

"I'm impressed. Not only did you find me, but you also escaped my genjutsu. Not many people can do that." Ino huffed, glaring at the Hina. "Now someone has to get hurt."

"Hina's friends are already hurt. Hina will make you pay for what you and the rest of Uzumaki's crew have done!"

Ino looked at the captain incredulously. "What are you talking about? We haven't hurt anyone." Ino had to roll to the side as Hina came charging forwards. But she did not expect Hina's arms to stretch. The Marine's arms morphed into metal like wings as she closed in on Ino. **"Awase Baori"** (Lined Kimono Feather Cage) Ino felt the metallic cold of iron penetrate into her skin as the cage wrapped around her body. Her arms and legs were shackled to her body, completely immobilizing her.

"No one escapes Hina's cage." Hina announced proudly.

"Nothing is absolute." Ino retorted before her body disappeared, leaving only a log wrapped in metal bands in her place.

Hina's head jerked left and right as she searched for her target. Her eye's barely caught the glint of sunlight reflecting off of a dozen senbon coming towards her. **"Kyōkaku!"** (Rib Cage) The black iron of her devil fruit leapt out from her chest and wove into a lattice like shield of metal in front of her. The needles gave out soft pings as they ricocheted off the shield and scattered harmlessly about. Hina threw her arms up towards the tree where the needles had come from. **"Torikago!"** (Bird Cage) thin bands of metal shot from her fingers in wide intricate nets. The cages of metal shrank as they wrapped around and snared everything they came into contact with, forcing Ino to leap free of the tree she had been using for cover.

"Damn you're an annoying opponent. Just let me put you to sleep so I can leave in peace!" Ino growled.

"Hina never lets her target's escape."

"Fine! You asked for it don't say I didn't try to let you off easy!" Ino took a deep breath while running through another set of hand signs. **"** **Yoasobi!"** (Nightshade) Exhaling with everything she had, Ino created a giant, flower shaped, cloud of poison directly into Hina. The purple mist exploded outward, enveloping the entire clearing. The poison ate into everything. Trees, plants, and the like all wilted under its influence. Hina did not fare much better. The marine captain sagged, fighting to stay conscious, but one look and anyone could tell she would not.

"Don't fight it. Let it take you or I will use something deadlier." Ino muttered, calmly walking through the haze of her own technique. Hina tried to swipe at her, but only succeeded in falling over with her arm partially transformed. "I would say sweet dreams, but I know you won't have them. Ino whispered into the ear of the downed Hina. "I made this poison personally and let me tell you, the next few hours will not be fun. But you will live. Don't force me to do this again. I won't be so nice a second time."

Hina tried to fight back, but she couldn't move. The world had taken on a purple tint, and things were coming alive around her. Plants grew faces, their roots turned into misshapen legs, their branches forming spindly arms, and they began to march towards her. The world had gone completely crazy.

Ino checked on Jango and Fullbody, making sure the marines were still trapped in her genjutsu before walking away. They had amassed several bruises, cuts, and scrapes from battling imaginary enemies, but they would be fine. A few days rest and they would be right as rain once her technique wore off. Screams erupted from where Ino had left Hina. Ino probably should have felt pity for the woman, the hallucinogenic effects of that particular poison were not for the faint hearted, but she simply could not feel bad for the woman. Ino had given Hina ample opportunity to retreat, but the pink haired captain had refused to give up. Another terrified scream ripped forth from the woman's lips as Ino jumped into the trees. She had to go see if the others needed any help.

/\/\/\

Samui huffed in annoyance. She really wanted to just sever a few of Needless' limbs and be done with the fight, but she couldn't do that. Thankfully, it seemed the sword's possession had reached the limit of his power. While dangerous in terms of brute strength and raw power, the sword's influence had done nothing for Needless' mind. No new strategies or techniques, just the same ones again and again. Unfortunately, Needless had proven quite durable. Samui had continued to throw stronger and stronger ninjutsu at her crewmate, but he continued to shrug them off like mere annoyances. And, with every failed attack, his jibes, taunts, and threats grew more intense. Unfortunately for her, any further escalation on her part and she would risk killing him outright. To make matters worse, Samui had seen, heard, and felt evidence of other fights on the island. Gaara's sand had spiraled into the sky, tremors had wracked the island, and no one had come to help when Naruto's clone dispersed. Clearly they had been found, and engaged by a powerful enemy. Regardless of the risk to Needless, Samui needed to end this and get back to the ship.

She had one technique left in her arsenal that Needless might survive. A powerful technique held secret by Kumo's elite, and taught to her personally by B. bracing herself for the drain on her system, she slowly began the chain of hand signs for it, carefully moulding her chakra.

" **Yokazan!"**

Another blast of green flames shot passed her head. Samui grunted in annoyance. She had grown very tired of dodging the one dimensional attacks, but it would be all over soon. Another clearing lay just ahead. Just a bit further and she would have what she needed.

"When will you stop running away and accept your fate? You can't beat me! No one can beat me!" Needless shouted, as he gained on Samui. With a sadistic roar, he leapt towards her, tackling her into the ground. "Finally! I've got you now Bitch!" Needless stabbed the Shichiseiken straight through Samui's torso, pinning her to the ground. The blade glowed red briefly before Samui's body exploded into a burst of lightning.

" **Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Taiko No Raijin"** (Summoning Technique: Drums of Raijin) Eight large drums, each marked with three tomoe, sprang up from the earth. A clap of thunder sounded out and the tomoe on one of the drums glowed an incandescent blue before spawning a bolt of lighting. The bolt arched across to another drum. Another clap of thunder echoed and two bolts of lightning rebound into the air. The two bolts arched across spawned into four with another clap, the four spawned into eight, and so on. The ever growing arcs developed into a web of white-blue power, each bolt of lightning producing a clap of thunder as it left a drum. The roar of thunder grew so powerful, it drowned out every other sense. It permeated everything, and penetrated to the very souls of those within its grasp.

Inside the dome, Needless screamed in agony. Bolts of lightning repeatedly passed through his body at a constantly increasing rate. He tried to move, but he could not. He had completely lost control of his body. His world consisted of nothing but agony. Even so, he refused to give in. With the power of the Shichiseiken he would overcome this, he would be victorious. He would not bow down to anyone. In his hand, the sword glowed with power, his desires fueling its curse. The blade started to absorb the energy from the lightning bolts, glowing ever brighter as it did so.

Needless screamed with rage. "I will never be weak again! Never!" Despite burning, blackening, skin and constant bombardment, Needless took unsteady steps forward, each more confident than the last. His eyes glowed with power and rage, and the Shichiseiken's aura melded into his completely.

Samui watched in disappointment as Needless failed to give in. Even now, she had hoped to avoid unnecessary damage in his capture, but Needless had continued to push her further and further. With cold impassivity, Samui shifted her hands from the snake hand sign to the dragon. **"Hōkai!"** (Collapse) The entire web of lighting converged on Needless, imploding with spectacular force. The Shichiseiken tried to absorb the additional energy, pulling it away from Needless as it converged on his body. But, the lightning proved to be too much. The blade glowed brighter and brighter until it finally exploded, unable to contain all of the energy from Samui's jutsu. Red hot fragments of the blade ricocheted around the clearing. Samui deflected the shrapnel with her usual stoic precision. While tired, she survived unscathed. Needless had not fared nearly as well. Fragments of the sword had pierced his body in numerous locations. His right arm had suffered the worst, and in combination with the burns and other wounds she had dealt him, he would not live for long if he did not receive treatment soon. Samui immediately set about stabilizing him. If she could get him prepped, and back to Ino in time, he might live.

/\/\/\

"Any last words before I tear your spine from your body Uzumaki?" Garp growled, his eyes ablaze with anger. After Naruto had punted him into the woods, the two of them had gone blow for blow for several minutes, feeling each other out. Apparently Garp felt that warm up time was over.

Naruto looked around at the already destroyed clearing, and then to Garp. Naruto had tried to explain himself, tried claim his innocence, but the veteran marine was simply too angry to hear any of it. "Yeah, I do. What sort of insurance premiums do the Marines have to pay to keep you on staff? I mean really, all we've done is trade one set of blows and the island is already well on its way to the salvage yard."

" **Soru!"** (Shave) Garp blurred forwards, moving at a speed even Naruto had difficulty matching. Naruto barely managed to get his guard up before Garp's knee crushed into him. Naruto felt the bones in his forearms crack under the blow before he cartwheeled away through the jungle. Naruto groaned when a nice cluster of boulders finally stopped his tumble. Dragging himself to his feet, Naruto dusted himself off. "I guess its a sore subject. Maybe they take it out of his pay." Naruto's back popped and cracked as he did a self assessment of his injuries. "But damn is he fast. And he hits like Baa-chan too." Naruto created a few clones. "You know what to do." They all nodded at him while Naruto rolled out his neck. He sighed. "And I get to go back to playing punching bag." Naruto jumped up into the trees and purposely made a lot of noise to lead Garp away from his clones. Sure enough the grey haired vice admiral came charging straight towards him. Naruto watched as the man simply bowled through anything in his path, trees, rock, and everything in between simply shattered as Garp charged through them. The man did not even slow down with each impact. If anything, he got faster.

"Kurama…. I think I might need a little help." Naruto sputtered, trying to pick up the pace a bit. Naruto did not get any witty response from the fox, just the familiar feeling of power flooding into his chakra network. Naruto pivoted and launched himself back towards Garp. **"Dynamic Re-Entry!"** Leading with both feet, he slammed into Garp and sent the man tumbling. "It's like kicking steel. What's he made out of?" Naruto whined, shaking out one foot then the others. He didn't remember this from their last fight. Garp had been tough, but not this tough.

" **Rankyaku!"** (Storm Leg)

Naruto barely got out of the way before a compressed blade of wind, sliced through everything within a hundred yards. The last time Naruto had seen that technique it had only been an inconvenience. Now, Naruto was not sure if he would survive a direct hit completely intact. Garp was serious and if Naruto did not step it up and take this seriously he would end up hurt. With the jungle between them completely destroyed, Naruto could now see Garp clearly. The man had not been ruffled in the least by Naruto's attack. Channeling a mass of chakra into his hand, Naruto created a large swirling mass of chakra. **"Chōōdama Rasengan!"** (Ultra-Big Ball Spiralling Sphere) Naruto leapt straight towards Garp, leading with the giant Rasengan.

Garp smirked. "Just cause it's bigger than last time doesn't mean it will work any better!" Garp reached out with his left arm and caught the attack. **"Tekkai!"** (Iron Body) He growled with pain as Naruto's attack ate through the skin on his palm, but it penetrated no further. With a roar Garp brought his right arm around and punched straight through the Rasengan. **"Hōdan!"** (Arm Cannon) The attack pierced through Naruto's technique, but before it could penetrate into Naruto, the giant Rasengan detonated. Both combatants were blown off their feet and thrown apart.

Naruto drug himself back to his feet and nearly fell back down in agony. His ribs were broken in countless places. "That could have killed me, it almost did kill me." Looking down through the tattered remains of his clothing, Naruto could see the bruising where Garp's fist had connected with his chest. Had his rasengan not detonated and blown the two of them apart, Naruto probably would have earned a nice fist sized hole in his chest. "Kurama, can you do anything about this?"

" _ **I can, but without me helping you won't be able to keep up with him.**_ **"** The fox answered.

"My first clone should be ready by now. I'll manage." Naruto grunted, relief flooding through him and Kurama went about repairing his broken body.

" _ **Don't die. If you do I swear I'll piss on your grave after I've escaped the pits of hell."**_

"I don't plan on it, but thanks for the extra motivation." Naruto knew he needed to change tactics. Garp had shown he could match, and in some cases exceed Naruto in a contest of brute power. Naruto had not pulled out all the stops, but he really did not want to permanently injure or maim Garp. So, couldn't use the Rasenshuriken or any other variant there in. No, he had to get creative. He had to do what Naruto Uzumaki did best. He had to be unpredictable.

"Good, your ready for round two." Garp growled. "I wasn't done beating respect into your hide."

Naruto grinned, and threw Garp the bird, wagging around his middle finger as obnoxiously as he could. "Bring it Jiji. I got plenty more for ya right here."

Garp took the bait and leapt towards Naruto. The burly marine rammed his fist through Naruto. When his opponent disappeared in a cloud of smoke, Garp spun about expecting another attack from behind. "Stop hiding like a child Uzumaki! You've earned every bit of this beating for what you did to those men!"

Naruto's muffled voice came from below Garp's feet. "I did nothing to those men. Your just too stupid to see the truth." Dirt covered arms burst from the ground underneath Garp, and locked around his feet. With a heave, Naruto drug Garp down into the ground. He buring the marine up to his neck in the earth, trapping him. Naruto brushed the dirt off himself as he stood over Garp. "Now, we're going to talk about how I didn't do anything to any Marines on this island until you showed up. In fact I was planning to run away just to avoid having to fight any of you."

Garp did not give Naruto the opportunity he wanted. **"Jishin Geppo!"** (Quaking Moon Step) The earth shattered around Garp as he ripped himself free with impossibly powerful steps. His legs were a blur as they kicked the air and kept him afloat on brute strength. It sounded like a thunderstorm, and shockwaves buffeted Naruto with each step Garp took.

"How many of these damn techniques are there!?" Naruto moaned. "The last guy I fought only had like two and he sucked."

Garp grinned. "I created the Rokushiki to fight people like you. So normal people had a chance against monsters in human form."

"But there's more than six!" Naruto retorted. "And don't even try to convince me that you're normal!"

"Bah, you can complain after I've hauled you in." Garp spat back. **"Rankyaku!"** (Storm Leg)

At this distance, Naruto had nowhere to go. He had to block the technique. Slamming his hands together, he ran through the Ox, Dog and Rat hand signs in the blink of an eye. **"Fūjinheki!"** (Hurricane Wall) Naruto summoned a thick wall of wind between himself and Garp. The two wind based attacks exploded outward upon contact, and blocked Naruto's view of the world.

When the fallout from the attacks dissipated, Naruto's eyes widened. Garp's entire right arm had taken on a metallic black sheen. Having no desire to become intimately acquainted with the new technique, Naruto used a quick substitution to replace himself with a nearby log. When Garp's attack hit the log, not only did it utterly obliterate the log, it shattered the earth beneath it as well. Dirt, trees, and rock alike all exploded into the air as his fist obliterated everything it touched.

The first of Naruto's clones dispelled filling him with natural energy. He grinned. Time to break out the senjutsu."Fine! If it's going to be like that then why don't you try this on for size!" **"Senpō: Ranjishigami no Jutsu!"** (Sage Art: Wild Lion's Mane)Naruto's hair flared outward into nine thick strands. Each stand ended in a fox like head with razor sharp needles of hair for teeth. Naruto directed his hair to surround Garp, two tendrils wrapping around each of his limbs, and the ninth securing itself around the marine's neck. Garp growled with pain as each of the fox heads bit into him to secure their hold.

"Bah! You think this can hold me Uzumaki." Garp strained against the hold of Naruto's technique. His body flickered with that black sheen as he overpowered the hold Naruto's hair had on him.

"How strong are you!?" Naruto grunted as he fought to keep his feet.

"Strong enough!" Garp opened his mouth and spit at Naruto several times. The black coloration Naruto had seen on Garp's body now covered the flying loogies. Each each of the five spit balls hit with the force of sledgehammers, staggering Naruto.

"What the fuck was that!?" Naruto howled.

" **Hakidasu"** (spit out) Garp answered seriously.

"Spit bullets! Really? Who does that?"

Garp grinned "Everything is a weapon brat, now come here!" With inhuman strength, the black tint once again coving his arms, Garp spun his arms around the hair tendrils even further, overpowering Naruto's hold. With newly created leverage, Garp yanked with all his inhuman strength. The mighty heave ripped Naruto free of the earth. Naruto's eyes widened as he sailed towards Garp. The man had a grin on his face that spoke of nothing good. The black sheen from his arms had also spread to his forehead.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Naruto quickly formed the tiger sign with one of his hands. **"Kanton: Sakeru honō!"** (Fire Release: Cleaving Flame) A blade of fire materialized in front of Naruto, and spun a circle, cutting him free from Garp. The fire did more than cut him free. Naruto had used toad sage powers to excrete highly flammable toad oil into his lengthed hair. The flames raced down the tendrils of oil soaked hair as if they were giant fuses. With a few extra hand signs, Naruto set up the final part of his combination. **"Fuuton: Kaze no bakudan!"** (wind Release: Wind Bomb) Naruto spat a swirling mass of wind towards Garp, pushing himself away, and providing fuel for the flames. All three parts of the combination melded together in a beautifully violent explosion.

"That should put him down for a bit." Naruto muttered, very unhappy with the level of escalation this fight had seen. Fighting Garp had been fun, but it needed to end before Naruto seriously hurt the man. Naruto knew Garp was a good man. Empathetic powers aside, one did not cross fists with someone else and not understand them. Garp's essence, while wild, violent, and inconsistent, had a pureness to it that could not be found in many. Naruto respected him for that, and would have loved to push Garp to the limit under different circumstances. But this fight felt hollow with the accusations Garp had thrown at him. Naruto's thoughts ceased when a mental presence the likes of which he had not felt in years made itself known. It felt like killing intent, but it held a different quality. Naruto could feel its oppressive power battling at his very will. He could feel Garp's strength all of it, but unlike killing intent, images of a violent death did not flash before Naruto's eyes. Instead he felt an urge to submit, an urge to bow down. A pulse of mental energy made itself physical, clearing the air in all directions. Garp stood at its center, his entire body gleamed black with power, his eyes shone with intent, and his strength radiated outwards. With a heavy step, the veteran marine dropped into a powerful stance, arms raised, and slightly bent.

Naruto snorted, he bowed to no one. Unleashing his own intent, he clashed with Garp. The atmosphere between the two of them thickened and took on a life of its own. Naruto readied himself for what was surely a stupid idea. Channeling chakra to and around his hand, the familiar form of a rasengan took shape. Morphing from its standard form, the sphere darkened as Naruto infused water into it. Streams of water swirled around the entirety of his forearm in random hypnotic patterns, and the thundering crash of a thousand waterfalls issued forth, as Naruto struggled to contain the spiraling currents. Staring down Garp's form, he muttered. "I hope you're strong enough for this old man. I really don't want to tell Luffy I killed his Jiji, but you asked for this."

Garp leapt first. With a single powerful stride he closed the distance between them. He pivoted around his feet, and extended his arms. **"Hakyoku!"** (Cataclysm)

With a roar, Naruto slammed his fist into Garp's **"Suiton: Uzumaki Ken!"** (Water Release: Maelstrom Fist)

Garp's eyes met Naruto's for a brief second before they collided, no fear, no regrets, no anger, just excitement. Naruto grinned back at the man, Garp had pushed the fight this far for the challenge, for the excitement, not because he did not believe Naruto. The whole battle took on a different meaning to Naruto as the world broke around them.

/\/\/\

Murdock groaned as he finished tying up the runts Garp had sent after him. "Damn…. I've gotten old and fat. These runts should have been nothing for me." He rubbed at the bruises forming on his chest. He had managed to block everything Helmeppo threw at him. The aspiring blade master had a ways to go, but he had potential. The Coby kid was a different story. He was already good. Lots of raw talent that one. He had gotten in a couple really hard hits despite Murdock's best efforts. With experience and some more tutelage from Garp the kid would be a monster. Murdock pulled out his pipe, packed it full of tobacco and put a match to it. A deep pull on the instrument filled his lungs with smoke. "Ah, that's better." He sighed, exhaling with relief.

"Who are these guys?"

Murdock turned to see Konohamaru standing on the railing nearby. He looked a little haggard, clothes scuffed and torn, and he appeared to have a nice bullet wound in his shoulder. Still, he would live. "They're snot nosed brats just like you. But, like you, they're good. With any luck they'll make a decent pair in the future." Murdock was about to say more when a world ending boom echoed out from the center of the island. The island and everything around it shook as a fountain of water erupted against a massive cloud of dust. Rising into the sky, the plume of water and dust blocked out the sun, sending the world into an erie twilight.

"Garp…" Murdock muttered.

"Boss…" Konohamaru whispered.

Neither had any time to brace themselves for the blast of wind nor the tidal waves that immediately followed the titanic clash. The Midnight's Shadow pitched and rolled as the seas did their best to flip it. Anything not securely tied to the deck flew about, scattering into the ocean. Murdock barely managed to keep himself and his two unconscious opponents from being sucked off the ship by the powerful waves. When the ship finally stabilized, Murdock searched it for any visible damage. "Kid, you alive?" he called out.

"Yeah, I'm alive." Konohamaru called out. He had fallen through, and now lay underneath several destroyed water barrels.

"Good. Get up and help me get this thing ready to sail."

"Why? No one is back yet." Konohamaru groaned.

"Cause I said so." Murdock growled. "Our observers didn't fare so well during that chaos." He added, pointing towards where Hina had left a ship. Capsized and sinking into the waves, things were not looking so good for the detachment of the Black Cage Corps. "Those men don't deserve to die because they were too close to a battle like this. They're just following their orders."

Konohamaru broke through the debris keeping him pinned to the deck and looked at what Murdock was pointing at. "Boss would want us to help." He crossed his fingers and paused briefly as he spawned two clones of himself. "Let's get to it."

/\/\/\

Gaara floated, looking down at the ruffled form of Bogard. Their bought paused in the aftermath of the world ending clash that had come from their compatriots. Bogard had lost his coat and a good portion of one of his pant legs. A small trickle of blood ran down the exposed leg, and Bogard had lost the sheath for his blade while winning the blade itself back. His posture had sagged, and his movements had become far less graceful. Despite all the signs of internal damage he had been dealt Bogard had maintained an impressive level of speed. Gaara himself did not feel the best either. While he had avoided additional blood loss, the same could not be said about bruising. Bogard's tactics had changed during the time he had been without a sword. The marine had put his sheath to use in such a way as Gaara had never seen. Several cracked ribs, and countless bruises, attested to the man's ability to deal blunt damage.

Bogard adjusted his hat, which had amazingly survived their duel unscathed. Looking towards the destruction Garp and Naruto had caused he said, "I believe our duel has reached its end. There is nothing left to gain for either of us. There will be no winner if we continue." Despite his words, Bogard did not lower his blade.

Gaara's rational mind took in the offer and weighed the options. Bogard was right. Gaara had nothing to gain from continuing this fight. Bogard would push him to the limit of his abilities if they continued to fight. While Gaara knew he could win, what would be the cost? A victory it might be, but he would be useless afterwards. So weakened that he would not be in any position to defend the rest of their team should the need arrive. The day was not over yet, and he did not know what sort of condition Naruto was in either. Declaring a draw would be wise. "You are right. We both have other duties to tend to." Gaara recalled most of his sand, reforming the gourd on his back and only keeping enough to stand on.

Bogard dropped his guard as well, and nodded. "I look forward to facing you again. I've not had such a workout in years. I fear I've gotten a bit rusty. Perhaps next time we won't be interrupted."

"Perhaps." Gaara agreed.

With that said, both disappeared in the direction of Naruto and Garp's fight.

/\/\/\

Ino had been heading back towards the ship when she had heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. She had angled towards the noise, assuming it to be Samui's doing, but she only made it a short distance before the whole world came apart. Trees fell, rocks tumbled, and the earth shook. Ino scrambled, jumping one obstacle and ducking the next, barely avoiding being crushed in the chaos. Somehow she made through the event unscathed. Huffing with exertion, she looked towards the epicenter of all the destruction. A column of water had risen up above the island, a clear sign of a water jutsu, but justding from the cloud of dirt to go alongside it, something equally as strong opposing it. "Who could push Naruto this far?" Ino questioned under her breath, a hint of worry in her voice.

Knowing she could not afford to waste anymore time, Ino sprinted through the forest. The needed to regroup, as a small group being separated by a numerically superior enemy could mean disaster. Continuing in the direction she had been headed previously, it did not take Ino long to find a battleground. The over overturned trees, and ravaged ground were strong indicators, but the smell of burnt ozone, and the distinct feeling of ambient chakra all pointed towards a shinobi's handiwork.

"Samui!" Ino cried, when her eyes locked on her fellow kunoichi. Samui lay dazed at the edge of the clearing. Judging from the clean cuts on the debris around her, she must have tried to cut her way through the explosive fallout of Naruto's clash. Leaping to her downed teammate, she gave her a once over. "Why didn't you just run?" Ino questioned, her palms already glowing green as she tended to Samui's wounds.

"Needless." Samui coughed, alertness returning to her. "Mission required his return to ship." She added, pain coloring her speech.

"What?" Ino asked before she saw Needless' body buried underneath Samui's. "Damn… What happened?" Seeing the severity of his injuries she shook his head. "Nevermind. We have to get him back to the ship. Can you move?"

"Yes." Samui answered. With a pained grunt she drug herself to her feet.

Ino clicked her tongue with worry when she saw another healthy dose of superficial wounds covering Samui's body. The small branch impaled through her leg being the biggest concern. Ino moved to help but Samui waved her off. "No, help him." With a determined look grabbed the branch impaled through her leg, and pulled it free. Samui let out a groan through grit teeth, but she did not falter. With practiced movements, she bandaged the hole in her leg.

Ino freed Needless from the earthen wreckage, and looked over his litany of wounds. Shrapnel in the arm, and chest, burns over a majority of his body, and severe bruising among a list of other injuries. Ino hurriedly unsealed a medical satchel and began basic treatment. It would not be enough, but she could buy him enough time to survive the trip back to the ship. Once there, she had a full complement of medical tools and supplies. Heaving his limp body up onto her back, Ino looked to Samui. "You good to go?"

Samui nodded, but Ino was not convinced. Reaching into her bag she tossed the Kumo-nin a soldier pill. "Take it. Better the side effects for no reason than being caught out without the extra help." Ino watched her teammate swallow the pill, and smiled. "Good, now let's move."

/\/\/\

Naruto, coughed and wheezed, utterly breathless, as the world came back into focus. The crater that had formed from his clash with Garp would take up half the island. He really hoped his team had been far enough away from the blast to escape the fallout unharmed. Sitting up he howled with pain. "Fuck that hurts…" with grit teeth, he dug himself out of the dirt and searched the other side of the crater for Garp. He could see where the Vice Admiral had slammed into the earth, but the man looked to be buried for the time being. Looking down at his arm, Naruto groaned. "Ino's not going to like this…" his artificial arm was a bloody mangled mess. Skin gone from the elbow down, protruding bone around his wrist, and who knew what other internal damages had been wrought on the appendage. Ino would be the lucky one to put it back together, and even with his natural healing ability to help, it would not be easy.

"RAAAAAHH!"

Naruto's eyes locked on Garp's side of the crater as the man ripped his way free of the earthen prison. Devoid of his jacket, his shirt, and with only tatters left of his formerly pristine pants, it was easy for Naruto to see how much damage he had caused the man. His right arm hung useless. Deep furrows of flesh were gone along its length where the water currents of the Uzumaki Ken had ripped the arm apart. The damage extended beyond the arm to his chest too, several spiraling gashes exposing his ribs to the bone in ragged stripes. Looking at the other scars that littered the Garp's body, he was no stranger to this type of injury.

Garp and Naruto stared at each other silently, both of them trying to figure out their next move. Would the fight continue or were they done? Before either could move, Gaara and Bogard appeared at their sides. Judging from their battered appearance their scuffle had been a bit more than just a difference of opinion.

"Naruto. " Gaara greeted, looking his friend over. "Looks like you've been having fun."

"Yup, just love turning my body into mincemeat. Feels great." Naruto snarked. With a strained nod of his head, he motioned towards the other side of the crater where Bogard was attending to Garp. "That man fights with the intensity and single mindedness of A, but with the strength of Tsunade, and then some." Naruto looked Gaara over, noting the general weariness of his friend despite the flawless appearance of his sand armor. "Looks like you had a little fun yourself."

"He made me bleed." Gaara grunted in annoyance. "Twice."

Despite the agony radiating from his body, Naruto whistled in appreciation. Getting Gaara to bleed was a hell of an accomplishment. For someone to do so twice, was nearly unheard of. Bogard clearly had honed his skills to a degree beyond what most would consider possible.

Gaara nodded. "He's faster than most anyone I've ever fought, but more importantly, his Iaijutsu is second to none. I've never seen the like."

Naruto looked across at Bogard and smirked. "Apparently he's not fast enough. Looks like you got him to bleed a little yourself."

Gaara smirked. "I may have gone a little mad after his second hit. I wanted more, but I got my revenge."

Across the way Garp slung his good arm over Bogard before nodding towards Naruto. Clearly he had gotten what he came for as well, and seemed to be content to let them go. Bogard led the man away with strained but steady steps. They made it no more than ten steps before Garp shouted, "Uzumaki!"

Naruto who had slumped into the cool softness of Gaara's sand, refocused on Garp's frame.

Garp spit out a large glob of blood, and smiled, his teeth stained red with blood. "Next time, don't hold back!"

Naruto found the energy to laugh. "That man is psychotic. But I have to admit, I like him." The coughs that followed his laughter nearly doubled him over in pain, earning a groan from the blond. "Hey Gaara, take me back to the ship. I think I need a nap."

/\/\/\

When Naruto woke up inside his room on the Midnight's Shadow, he smiled. No white walls, the gentle rock of the seas, and crisp cool air floating in from his window. Best hospital room ever. Still, everything hurt. When he sat up, it felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to every inch of his body. Looking down at his right arm, Naruto was please to see it still intact. Though it now sported a few nice scars from where the bones had come through his skin. He shrugged, not like it could look any more unusual after being grafted from the Hashirama's cells. The pale white skin might even look better with a little color mixed in. Chances were that it would not last, seeing as the Shodai's cells were incredibly resilient and had near perfect regeneration. But, he didn't really care one way or the other. Throwing on a pair of pants, his kunai holster, and draping his red and black sage coat over his bare shoulders, Naruto made steps towards the door. He passed the infirmary on his way out and saw the recovering form of Needless strapped down to the bed. He had brought the man on in the hopes of helping him, but it seemed they weren't quite there yet. Shaking his head, not wanting to dwell on it for the time being, Naruto continued towards the top deck.

Bright blue skies greeted him as he stepped out onto the deck, along with friendly faces. Gaara, Samui, Ino, Konohamaru, and Murdock all going about their various duties onboard. Things felt like they were falling into place, coming together. They still had a lot of work to do, but maybe, just maybe, there was hope for this mission.

/\/\/\

Well,there it is. A nice big chapter to move things forward. There are parts of this that I'm really happy with, and parts that I'm not. I really like Garp as a character and I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use him more than Oda does. He's supposed to be the Hero of the marines. A man who could have been an admiral or even the fleet admiral if had had wanted it, but he didn't. So here i've put him to use in another way. I also find it completely believable that he developed the Rokushiki. Everything he does is about strength, skill, and will power. I've added my own little touch to his second in command as well. Bogard, is someone who we see always standing in the background, but I figure when pushed to fight he should be able to more than hold his own as Garp's second. This will be the last of the modified movie plots for a while. I won't stray towards them again until we get to the likes of Shiki. Next island is going to be all me. Either way, I hope enjoyed this. Leave a review and let me know what you think.


	9. Frozen Wastes

Chapter 9: Frozen Wastes

The ghostly pale form of Orochimaru sifted through papers at an old and dusty desk. "So that's what you were after you old war horse. Interesting, very interesting. You never were one to let things slip your notice." His face alight with glee he had not felt in years. These papers were a treasure trove of information, possibly more. Sure, he had been allowed to live for his services during the war, but it was almost not worth living. Under constant surveillance, and with more restrictions than an academy student, he was withering away. Physically and mentally. At least, until now. He had finally found an escape. One that held so many questions, but so much potential. Opening another drawer on the desk, he inspected a small almost unnoticeable seal tucked away at the back of the empty drawer. Pushing a small amount of chakra into the tattoo on his arm, he summoned an adolescent snake. The creature extended out, and reached into the drawer for him. Just before it touched the seal, the snake was eviscerated. "Always the paranoid man weren't you Danzo." Orochimaru mused. "And still, you died alone and a failure like so many others." Forming a one handed version of the snake sign, Orochimaru carefully focused his chakra as he reached into the drawer. He moved past the tigger point of the trap with confidence. Razor sharp blades of wind sliced into his arm, but left little more than scratches in the face of Orochimaru's own chakra actively opposing them. Touching the seal, a scroll popped into existence, settling firmly into his hand. Knowing without a doubt that the scroll itself had been trapped as well, Orochimaru pocketed it. He would have to work on it after he dealt with his pursuers.

"Did you have fun navigating through Danzo's paranoia Sai-Kun? It should feel familiar. After all, you were one of his pets were you not?" Orochimaru asked, mirth clear in his voice.

Sai stepped into the room, his expression blank despite the slightly ruffled appearance of his clothes. Being an unwelcome guest in one of Danzo's hideouts was no simple task.

"It seems he didn't trust you, or else you would have had a much easier time getting here." Orochimaru laughed. "Don't tell me you came alone? He trained you better than that."

Sai ignored the questions. "Actively eluding your escort and operating within the hideouts of known traitors. You are in violation of your agreement with the Kage. In light of these actions I will need you to hand over whatever material you have, and submit yourself for a questioning by one or more of the Kage."

"Fufufufu, Sai-kun, you know I can't do that. After all, what I've discovered these last few weeks is entirely too exciting. I simply must continue." Three more bodies appeared in the room. Orochimaru grinned when he recognized the forms Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, and Rock Lee. "Lee-kun, Guy should be proud of you. I doubt even he could move so fast as to get behind me so quickly. I almost didn't notice." Lee had appeared behind him while Kiba and Hinata had taken either side, completely surrounding him. "But," Orochimaru sighed sadly, "You all still lack experience." Orochimaru spit a glob of venom towards the desk, destroying the papers he had been reading. "Maybe next time." He cackled as he melted into a puddle of mud.

Sai rushed forwards, and attempted to read anything useful on the papers before the venom completely destroyed them, but all he caught were a few words. "Operation Salamander...75 operatives…..MIA…40 operatives confirmed deceased….. active operatives. Checkpoint….." The papers finally disintegrated, preventing Sai from learning any other valuable information. The room started to shake as additional failsafes kicked in. Sai knew Danzo had set up every base to collapse in the event of a breach. After the collapse, a nearby water source would be diverted to destroy any remaining evidence.

"We have less than a minute to escape." Sai announced. "Prioritize avoiding lethal counter measures, survival is now the only objective."

"Damn! Snake bastard!" Kiba grunted, "At least Akamaru is outside. Let's go!" Hinata nodded her agreement, and Lee stepped to the front.

"Yosh! I will clear the way with my flames of youth!" Opening three of the celestial gates, he charged down the hallway. Traps sprang to life the as walls crumbled, ceilings collapsed, and their uncaring footsteps triggered defences they had been so careful to avoid during their infiltration. Like a human battering ram, Lee smashed through it all with raw power. The others followed close behind, dodging and deflecting what little Lee missed. They dove for the light at the end of the corridor, barely reaching the safety of the open air as the base completely collapsed. Akamaru Immediately jumped over to them and stood guard, allowing the shinobi a chance to collect their breath.

"I hate that man so much." Kiba wheezed. "Damn this hurts." He added, nursing a deep cut on his right leg. Lee refrained from commenting himself, but he also had several nasty wounds. Only Hinata and Sai had come away relatively unscathed.

"Hinata, provide first aid to others. We have to get back to Konoha and deliver this information." Sai ordered. He doubted Kakashi would be pleased with their failure.

/\/\/\

Naruto watched as Needless paced around the deck, still wrapped in bandages from his fight with Samui. Ino had done a good job of cleaning him up, but she had not been able to remove all the shrapnel from his body. Several pieces had lodged into his arm, and fuzed to his bones. His arm almost looked as bad as Naruto's did. But, he still had his arm, and with Ino's help, he would be back to normal soon. Ino had yet to clear him for any exercise. He needed time for everything to heal, and fresh air. So, the former marine had taken to stomping around the deck without purpose. Seeing the man's fists clench and unclench with unspoken frustration, Naruto decided he had had enough. He had to stop hoping the marine would figure it out himself. "Why did you take the sword? What did it promise you? How did you even know it was there?"

Needless froze under the barrage of questions, having been unaware of Naruto watching him. Turning to look at Naruto with hollow eyes, he answered. "It called to me, directed me to it, and it promised me power."

Naruto smiled at the unsurprising answer. "There are lots of powers in this world. What kind of power?"

"You know damn well what power!" Needless grunted.

"No, I don't. You've asked me for strength, demanded it really, but you've never told me why, or what kind of strength you actually want." He saw Needless' eye widen with rage, but he held up his bandaged hand to forestall his crewmember. "Just like there are different powers in this world, so too are there very different strengths. Physical strength is not to be discounted, and probably what you think of when you say power, strength or any other word like it, but there is more to it. Mental strength, conviction, fortitude, you have them, but I don't think you know how to use them." Naruto sighed. "You use them to fuel your hatred, your anger, but even that you don't do the fullest."

"What do you know about anger!? What do you know about me! What do you know about…."

"Enough!" Naruto grunted, lacing his words with killing intent. He stared at Needless' frozen form. "I know next to nothing about you. I saw something in you that I saw in my best friend, my teammate, when I was younger. I could not save him at the time. It tooks years, an all out war, and me ripping his arm off to get him to see his wrongs, and even then he's only a shell of what he once was. But, I decided you could be saved. I saw the look in your eyes on Gasparde's ship, and I decided that it's not too late for you." Now that he had Needless' attention, Naruto eased back his willpower. Needless took a deep breath, but did not say a word. "As for anger, let me tell you a story, and a bit about myself." Naruto continued.  
"I come from a village of ninja, a place called Konoha. Twenty four years ago it was attacked by the Kyuubi no Yoko, the nine tailed demon fox. The beast rampaged through the village, killing hundreds of shinobi. It was the worst disaster the villager had ever suffered. Finally, the Hokage, that's the leader of our village sacrificed his life by using a complicated forbidden technique. He sealed the beast away in his newborn son, and handed the boy over to his predecessor, the Third Hokage, with his dying breath. The boy was supposed to be worthing as a hero, for it was him that held back the beast, but it was not to be so. The village too grief stricken in their loss saw the boy as the embodiment of the beast. Mobs were sent after him, he was thrown from stores, and only one restaurant, if you can call a ramen stand a restaurant, in the entire village would serve him. In essence he was a pariah. The Third Hokage did what he could, but still that orphaned boy lived a miserable childhood."

Naruto stared down Needless with conviction like the pirate had never seen. "I was that orphan. I knew nothing but hatred from the first days of my life, and I did not understand it at all. I wanted recognition, I wanted respect, and I wanted friendship. I could have easily become the monster everyone saw me as, but I chose not to. I chose to become a hero to my people. I did what everyone else had thought impossible." Naruto paused. _"Kurama?"_

" _ **Here you go brat."**_

Kurama's power flooded Naruto's system. "This is what I overcame. I made friends with this." He reached out and set his hand on Needless' shoulder, letting all of Kurama's rage and hatred flow into his crewmember. The red hue of Kurama's chakra enveloped Needless as he took it all in. Needless jerked away from Naruto's touch, his eyes wide with fear. Naruto looked at him with calm eyes. "Do you still think I don't understand?"

"How…. It's not possi…"

"It is possible, and I want to help you."

"I will think about it" Needless grunted before he walked away, absently rubbing at his bandaged arm.

" _ **Naruto, there is another presence in his arm. It is tainted, angry, and bloodthirsty. I think exposing him to my chakra awakened it."**_

" _We will have to keep an eye on him, but it's there, I can see it."_ Naruto watched as Needless walked away, his arm unknowingly pulsing with malicious energy. "Find your strength Needless. Your real strength. It's there, I promise." Naruto whispered.

/\/\/\

Shikamaru, Choji, and Sakura all watched as several genin teams moved about material under the masterful direction of Tazuna, the master bridge builder. Between its isolation, the remnants of Gato's empire, and the added bonus of the Great Naruto Bridge being its only connection to the mainland, The Land of Waves was a perfect location to build a port for the Marines. The country had flourished following the death of the business tyrant, and had most of the facilities necessary for the venture, but their defences needed improvement. Gato's former compound, left to rot by the inhabitants had seen far better days, but it still provided a good skeleton for the new base. Shikamaru had added to the structure, increasing its size and modifying it into a strategically sound location. Choji had brought some younger Akimichi clan members to help with changes and additions to the earthworks. Sakura would see the creation of the medical facilities once the construction transitioned to the buildings interior.

Shikamaru turned to look back towards the bridge, an unseen team of Chunin and Jounin worked on the opposite shore building one of many hidden observation posts. Anyone and everyone would be under constant surveillance once the Marines were allowed in. With a sigh, Shikamaru focused in on the bridge itself and the sign above it. "So, this is where it all started for you, Naruto, and Sasuke?"

"Yes, at least it was for Naruto and Sasuke. They went after Zabuza and Haku without a moment's hesitation. I just stood there pretending to guard Tazuna. They managed to beat back an A-Rank missing nin as fresh genin." Sakura answered. "And now Naruto is out making more trouble than ever."

"It's what the Dobe does best."

The three of them turned to see Sasuke standing behind them. His heavy robe concealed the stump of his missing arm, and gave him a vagrant like appearance. Still, he exuded an aura of danger that would make most wary. He studied all the activity with an impassive red eyes. "Chaos follows him like a plague, and this will be no different."

"I thought you were wandering though Iwa?" Sakura questioned.

"I was, until I heard the news. I came to tell you that I'm headed out on my own."

Shikamaru shook his head, "Sounds too troublesome to me, but I won't say no to more information." He reached into his vest and withdrew a log pose.

Sasuke shook his head, and showed the strategist the log pose already secured to his wrist. "I raided the ANBU headquarters" He turned his focus to Sakura. "I'm just here to say bye."

"Expect the occasional hawk as a messenger." Sasuke grunted before leaping into the air. A large hawk popped into existence beneath him and ferried him away.

"Well he hasn't changed." Choji muttered. "Cold, heartless Sasuke."

"Hnn, troublesome ass. Now I have to figure out how he got in and stole the log pose, and discipline the guards that didn't catch him." Shikamaru sighed. "I was really looking forward to napping when we got back too."

Sakura stayed silent. She wanted to defend Sasuke, but she really couldn't. Still, she smiled, at least he had come to say goodbye. "He's helping in his own way."

"Still troublesome." Shikamaru grunted, though part of him knew Sasuke's presence beyond their borders significantly strengthened their reconnaissance efforts. Sasuke's cold and calculating mindset produced far different results than Naruto's warm and friendly one.

/\/\/\

Murdock glared out into the freezing mist as he fought to keep his teeth from chattering. "Bah! Damn winter islands. Crime against nature the lot of em." He spat.

"I agree." Gaara grunted. Suna gold cold at night, but snow and ice simply were not factors they had to deal with. They had entered into the frigid climate zone three days previously. Snow, hail, and freezing winds had torn at the Shadow as the fury of winter battled with the warm summer breeze that wafted out from Asuka island. He still had a hard time comprehending the strangeness that was the Grand Line. Islands that only had a single season, a season that they projected out into the surrounding sea. The distance of that projection being directly related the island's size. Three days of freezing hell and they still could not see the island. To have this large of an influence on the sea, it had to be a large landmass. "Do you know where we are headed?"

"I have some thoughts and none of them are good." Murdock growled. "The only large winter island that I know of is Baikal. Technically, it's an arctic island. Colder than hell and full of cold people. But, there's a benefit to ending up here."

Gaara arched an eyebrow in question.

"Seastone." Murdock answered. "Baikalians mine it. Have the only known source of it in the Grand Line. Makes them a favorite of the World Government, and a well off bunch. Naturally, it's illegal for anyone but the Marines and or the World Government to purchase seastone.

"Naturally." Gaara agreed.

"But, seeing as they have the only source, and it negates a lot of the World Government's muscle, Baikal tends to do whatever the hell they feel like doing, and the corrupt bastards that run the world look the other way so long as it doesn't get too out of hand."

Gaara spun the wheel,veering around a behemoth of an iceberg emerging from the fog. Gaara stared at it, studying the icy obstacle, as the mass of frozen water drifted by. They had started encountering icebergs two days previously, but that far out from the island the floating obstacles had been small and unthreatening. Now, they easily eclipsed the ship, and the freezing fog had gone from light and wispy to impenetrably dense. If Gaara made a wrong turn, or did not react quickly enough it could easily spell doom for their ship. Thankfully the waters had become calm and peaceful once they had fully entered the island's climate zone.

"We're here." Gaara muttered.

"You sure?" Mudrock questioned. He could not see a damn thing in the mists. The third eye that Gaara had spawned earlier came down to float in front of the shipwright. "Right… forgot about that." Murdock did not feel he would ever fully come to terms with the abilities his captain and crewmates threw around willy nilly.

Sure enough, the air cleared briefly to reveal towering cliffs of ice and snow. The temperature plummeted again without the insulation of the clouds preserving what little heat they could. The frigid air burned their exposed skin, and the sun burned bright as the white of the snow and ice reflected its rays back into the air. Squinting at the shore, Murdock fought against the glare. "Let's find a place to drop anchor and then we have to get to work scraping off all this ice."He kicked the deck three times to signal those below it was time to come up. The deck, masts, rigging, and even the sails to a certain extent, all had a heavy sheen of ice growing on them. The crew had been working to periodically rid the ship of ice, but in these conditions it was a never ending battle. Finally out of the fog they could get rid of the debilitating build up.

A muffled sound caught Murdock's attention. His face scrunched in concentration, as he tried to discern what it was. His eyes widened once the sound registered in his mind. "Put us back in the mist now!" he hissed.

Gaara spun the wheel. The icy sheen that had built up all across the ship cracked loudly as the vessel bent and twisted in its effort to come about. The sound echoed across the quiet waters like a beacon. Gaara expertly piloted the Shadow back into the mist with barely a second to spare. A small, sleek, scout ship zipped out of the mist seconds after they had turned around. It's two occupants, heavily bundled in fur coats and hats, their faces obscured by strange masks, searched the open area between the island and the fog. After a few moments of searching, the small boat zipped back into the mist in another direction.

"What was it?" Murdock asked.

"Scout boat. One that was actively searching for something or someone."

The shipwright nodded. "What did it look like?"

"Small metal dinghy with a single sail marked with a red number four." Gaara answered. "And it had some other power source. The sail was slack."

"I don't like this. The chances of them stumbling across us under these conditions are slim. Something's not right." Murdock grunted, rubbing at the stubble on his chin.

Naruto stuck his head up out of the hatch, looking mildly annoyed. "Can't you just break the icebergs and go right through them instead of making everyone down here sick?"

"We've made it to the island." Gaara answered, causing Naruto's expression to brighten. "But I don't think this will be a simple stop. We need to hide the ship, and send some scouts ashore."

Naruto nodded. "I'll get the others."

/\/\/\

"What do you mean he beat you?!" Sengoku shouted. "I could live with you letting him escape, but to let him beat you!" Sengoku turned to face Bogard. "And you?! What excuse do you have?! The two of you got into a cataclysmic fight, completely reshaped half an island, and you lost! There were witnesses! I can't just sweep this under the rug. We have to do something about this!" Sengoku's enraged face settled back on Garp, but the so called hero had fallen asleep during Sengoku's tirade. The fleet admiral slumped. "I'm too old for this shit."

Bogard took pity on the aging admiral "Sir, I apologize. We did not expect Uzumaki nor his companions to be capable of that level of resistance. Had we known the full extent of their abilities I would have encouraged an engagement at sea or on an unpopulated island."

"You are not to blame. The men responsible for this mess left shortly after they created it. Funny how Cipher Pol suddenly needed to move to a, "More strategic location," in order to combat threats to world peace. I would strangle all of them personally if I could." Sengoku grumbled before staring at Garp's second in command with the full measure of his authority. "Bogard, could you and Garp beat them?"

"Honestly," Bogard paused with thought. "I don't know. Neither myself nor Sabaku no Gaara reached the limits of our abilities. I held back once I determined that they had not been the cause of the attack on the Dojo. We know it was Hawkins now, but at the time signs pointed towards Uzumaki and his crew. I stalled for time, thinking Garp would overwhelm Uzumaki and that together we could capture Gaara without unnecessary injury. Uzumaki proved to be enough of a match that I willingly disengaged to support Garp. Under the right circumstances, I am confident we could win, but it would not be a guarantee."

Sengoku rubbed at his temples. "And what of the rest of his crew?"

"I did not see any of the fights, but they've recruited two of our own. Or I should say two former marines. Garp's old engineer, Murdock, is sailing with them. I'd guess he built them their ship. He also handed our apprentices their asses. Seems he hasn't forgotten everything we taught him. Garp always like him, even recommended him for his captainship. If it weren't for the events twenty years ago, he would likely be a a ranking officer." Bogard offered. "Still, that's a good sign. Murdock may be disenfranchised with the Marines, but he would not have joined someone with scrupulous morals. I doubt they will use lethal force in many engagements."

"But they are capable." Sengoku interjected.

"Yes. They are very much capable of lethal force. They recruited John Needless from Gasparde's crew, and last I checked Gasparde's lifeless body was handed over for a reward about one month back. Gasparde may not have been a priority, but he was no pushover either. Eliminating him was a small feat, but a feat nonetheless. Knowing the type of person that Gasparde was, I'd say it was justified."

Sengoku nodded. "What about the others? One of them Put captain Hina and two of her officers out of commision."

"You would have to ask Hina, I had no interaction with that member of their crew. However, Simo reported a fun game of cat and mouse with one of their younger members. Said the kid had good reflexes." Bogard answered.

"So to sum it up, they have at least two fighters who can battle on even ground with yourself/Garp, two deserters of various skill, a total unknown, a woman strong enough to put one of my better captains and her two best officers down for the count, and a brat who's quick enough to provide entertainment to one of the best marksmen in the service." Sengoku growled, feeling his headache grow by the second.

"Yes sir"

"And here I thought Garp's damn grandson was the worst of my problems. Now this, and to top it all off, our newest Shichibukai is set to hand over Fire Fist Ace to us with a nice little bow any day now as his admittance ticket..." Sengoku rubbed at his temples. "If we don't handle this correctly things will get out of hand before we can put ourselves in a position to keep the status quo." Sengoku looked at the sleeping form of his friend and sighed. He knew the man would not take the news about Ace well. "You and Garp will be staying here for the time being. I need muscle here for when things go to hell in a handbasket."

Bogard nodded. "We will be ready." Both of them knew that no matter what happened, the status quo would not stay the same for long. Capturing one of Whitebeard's division commanders meant only one thing, war. The Yonkou was famous for his treatment of his crew, and the lengths he went to protect them. Bounties on most of the Yonko and their ranking crew were more protocol than anything else. For someone to have actively sought out, fought, and captured a pirate of that level alive defied logic. Especially if that someone was not from another Yonko's crew. "Sir? Who captured Ace?"

Sengoku stared back at him, his face a mask of displeasure. "Edward Teach. No known bounty before this, no alias, nothing. Only the barest of rumors have been attached to his moniker." Sengoku answered. "Blackbeard…" Bogard's eyes widened beneath the brim of his hat. "Yes, the implication is not lost on me, and does not bode well for any of us." Sengoku continued with a sigh. "But, after Garp's upstart of a grandson defeated Crocodile, the Gorosei demanded a replacement be found, and his offering pleased them, regardless of the consequences. For now, none but those who must know, but we will only be able to hide this for so long." Sengoku frowned, "Eventually an execution will be announced."

/\/\/\

A tall, dark haired man, with gloved hands, sat watching the monitors in front of him. His gloved hands were clasped neatly in front of his face as the light from the screens reflected eerily off his glasses. A sadistic grin marked his face as he watched this new group of visitors attempt to sneak onto his island. None had strayed too far from their ship just yet, but he would ensure they did. When he wanted them to. This particular batch would be very exciting. After all the last one of their kind that had come here had provided him with so much entertainment. He could only imagine what he could learn from five of their kind. Calmly reaching out, he lifted the receiver to his den den mushi. "Caesar, we have guests. Would you let out some friends for them to play with." He paused for a moment. "And send out Wendi and her brothers would you? It's been a while since they've been fed." Without waiting for a response, he hung up. Turning to look behind him, he stared at the blank porcelain mask hung on the wall. "Yes things should get very interesting now that your friends are here Ne-San. Maybe they won't be so tight lipped. Maybe, just maybe they will have the answers I need." Turning back to his desk, he stared at the small picture frame set atop it. Brown hair surrounded a smiling face set with warm brown eyes. "Soon my Yui. Soon we will have all the answers."

/\/\/\

"The whole place is abandoned. I saw the snow buried remains of a few towns, but they haven't been inhabited for years. Just snow, more snow, and the cold it brings with it." Naruto reported. "And I've never seen cold like this. I sent two of my clones further inland, but it got so cold they dispersed." That raised a few eyebrows. While not necessarily the sturdiest of constructs, shadow clones were invented for reconnaissance. It took either physical trauma or chakra depletion to force them to disperse. Considering Naruto's chakra pool, the later simply did not happen.

Konohamaru nodded, fighting back a shiver. "Same for me Boss, nothing but snow."

"Samui?" Naruto asked, but the blond merely shook her head. This was getting frustrating. It just did not add up. They should have found something considering what had happened when they sailed in.

A haunting howl pierced the air, sending a shiver down their spines. A distant rumble followed immediately after. As the rumble grew louder and louder, Naruto's eyes widened as memories from a long past mission came to the front of his mind. "Gara! Shield the ship!""

Not questioning the order, Gara leapt from the room, sand already uncoiling from around his form. When he reached the deck, a wall of rampaging snow had already left the clifftop above. Cascading down towards the ship, it slammed against the dome of sand he had created. Gara grunted as he held the umbrella of sand over the ship. Snow and ice pounded into the sand before sloughing off to either side.

"That was close." Konohamaru muttered.

"Look again brat, we're stuck now." Murdock spat.

Sure enough, the avalanche debris had solidified into ice around them, and had locked the Midnight's Shadow in place.

"Ah this? It's nothing." Konohamaru quickly ran through a few hand signs. **"Douton: Doryuo….."**

"No!" Murdock checked the teen with his shoulder. "I realize you have the power to break us free, but you can't. The ice froze directly to the hull of the ship. If we don't do this carefully we run the risk of damaging the ship."

"Oh…. Yeah, that wouldn't be good."

Another piercing wail echoed down from the island above. Pulling their attention back to origin of their predicament. Another avalanche came roaring down the mountainside. Like the one before it, the avalanche cascaded off the icy cliffs and into the sea below. Thankfully, its path had moved further down the coast. The debris once again solidified into an icefield atop the calm waters. The rumble of a third avalanche could be heard shortly after.

"Their building a path." Gaara announced, having launched another third eye.

"Murdock, I'm leaving Gaara with you. Get the ship out of this ice." Naruto ordered. "Ino, Kono, scout ahead and see why they're building a path to us. Samui, Needless, you're with me. We're going to find what's causing all these avalanches."

/\/\/\

Bundled up in extra layers, Konohamaru and Ino ran atop the frozen wastes of Baikal. The apron of snow and ice that had trapped the ship now extended well out of sight along the ragged shore of the island. Near the water as they were, temperatures were not nearly as bad as they had been when they had scouted inland earlier in the day. Visibility remained an issue. The freezing fog hugged the coast, obscuring what lay ahead.

"This place gives me the creeps." Ino huffed. "It's too quiet."

"I don't care about the quiet. It's this cold that's killing me." Konohamaru sniffled, rubbing at his profusely running nose.

"You're the moron that went out unprepared for the cold." Ino chastised. "I mean seriously this place is freezing and you set out like it was a stroll around Konoha."

"Boss didn't put anything else on!" Kono spat back.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Naruto is a freak of nature. He can burn chakra all day to keep himself warm and not even notice the drain. I doubt he even realizes he's doing it. We on the other hand need layers like the rest of the human race." Ino gestured towards her well put together winter ensemble.

Konohamaru just shook his head.

A not so distant clang of metal on metal shook them from their conversation. Immediately going to hand signals, they ducked low to the ground, and Ino took charge. _"Stay low, keep quiet. Forward crawl, stay in sight."_ She signed. Konohamaru nodded before crawling into the lead. Ino slipped in behind him slightly offset to one side as they crawled in the direction of the noise. Shadows loomed over them in the fog. Huge structures, slowly emerged as they made their way up the slope. Large metal bunkers, turrets bigger than their ship, thick walls appeared from within the fog. A military base, or a least what remained of one. As they advanced into buildings, the damage of previous battles became apparent. Broken, dilapidated, and buried by snow and ice, the base had been left unrepaired and rotting. It looked just like the abandoned towns they had found in the first scouting.

Konohamaru made a quick set of signals behind his back. _"Tracks, left side, moving forward, provide cover."_

Ino really wished they had a third member. Konohamaru advancing on his own did not sit well with her, but at the same time, she could not leave them exposed from behind. So she let him go, trusting that he could take care of himself. Ino watched as Konohamaru slid up against one of the large broken down turrets that dotted the base. The tracks he had been following led to the surprisingly intact hatch. Rather than attempt to open the door, Konohamaru scaled up the side of the weapon, and crawled into the base through the gaps around the large gun barrels. Ino watied patiently for several minutes before Konohamaru reappeared and gave the all clear. Ino sighed with relief, for once things had not exploded in their face. Carefully making her way over, she followed her teammates example and climbed into the base.

Dark and dreary, the inside of the base had just as much snow as the outside. Ice clung to the walls, and the hollow wail of wind echoed through the abandoned tunnels that stretched on into the hillside. Looking to Konohamaru Ino arched an eyebrow. _"Footsteps went that way. Tunnel splits ahead."_ He answered.

Ino nodded, before making her own hand signs. _"Proceed with caution. Your lead."_

/\/\/\

Back on the Shadow, Murdock and Gaara carefully worked to free the ship from its icy prison. Gaara had put his sand to work and carved out large swaths of ice on either side of the ship, leaving only a small ring around them. He had offered to do more, but Murdock had refused the help, too concerned about damage to the hull. Instead the shipwright had set about the work by hand. Gaara helped above deck clearing ice from the rigging and the masts all while keeping watch. However neither he nor Murdock were aware of the dangers lurking underneath the ice. Beneath the surface a trio of small submarines motored towards the Midnight's shadow. Swift and silent, the underwater predators were darkly colored and emblazoned with the same red four as the scout ship from earlier.

/\/\/\

Naruto, Samui, and Needless trudged through the snow as they made their way inland. The cold had set in, almost stopping them in their tracks, but Naruto had come up with a solution. Given his lack of affinity for fire and his horrible control over that elemental nature, it was not the safest solution. But, it worked in a very Naruto way. Channeling his chakra, Naruto had created a ball of fire in each hand. The small suns radiated enough heat to keep them alive, but like the actual sun, they were prone to flaring wildly. Whenever his concentration faltered, the technique would destabilize. All three of them had acquired a few burns, but there was not much to be done. If they strayed too far away from Naruto, they would freeze. So, they simply persevered as they made their way towards the summit and the source of the avalanches.

/\/\/\

Hidden within the depths of the island, the gloved man watched the monitors with a smile on his face. Each focused on a different group of visitors. The two in the old tunnels, the ship and its protectors, and the three on the mountain. The game had begun and things were moving along just as planned. "Section 4 welcomes our guests like no others. You'll enjoy your stay so much you'll never leave."

/\/\/\

Well, it's amazing what happens when you get busy and fall out of a routine. Months go by without an update. Not only did I get stupid busy, but this chapter gave me fits. I'm still not sold on it, but it was time to move forward. Hopefully it's enough to hold people over while I get cracking on the next chapter. I'm trying to expand the world a bit and add some new elements. I think Orochimaru, Danzo, and Sasuke are great tools for that. Next chapter will have a bit of conflict and a bit more set up for things down the line. With any luck I can keep the juices flowing. Hope you enjoyed. Thoughts, comments, criticism? Let me know.


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